A Mississippi pastor showed up outside a federal courthouse on Friday in Jackson with his beloved horse all dressed up in a wedding gown.
The horse served as the pastor’s way to get attention in order to share his opinion on a federal judge’s ruling, currently on hold for two weeks, to overturn Mississippi’s ban on gay marriage , according to Reuters .
While many people wonder what a horse has to do with gay marriage, the pastor, Edward James of Bertha Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, was more than happy to explain it as he held a sign that read, “Do you take this horse to be your unnatural wedded spouse to have and to hold?”
As the pastor spoke to people passing by — or anyone who would listen — his horse ignored any sort of protest and ate the grass around her. The horse was adorned with white flowers tucked into her harness with a bouquet at her feet.
James spoke in a video-taped interview with the Clarion-Ledger newspaper, and explained he knew his approach to the protest was a bit unusual.
“Although it’s ridiculous, so is the same-sex marriage status.”
However, to the estimated 3,484 same-sex couples who call Mississippi home, gay marriage is hardly ridiculous. For approximately 25 percent of those couples, gay marriage would mean that children could say their same-sex parents are officially and legally married.
According to CNN , 35 states currently allow same-sex marriages.