South Carolina Gay Marriage: Same-Sex Couples Plan To Ask For Marriage Licenses Before GOP Primary

Six LGBT couples are planning to apply for marriage licenses in South Carolina in an effort to protest the state's ban on same-sex marriage.

As the Associated Press is reporting, the couples will arrive at the Greenville County Courthouse knowing full well that their requests will be denied, but instead hope to call attention to what one woman described as the "fundamental unfairness" of her state's gay marriage ban. Three couples are scheduled to try for marriage licenses on Tuesday, while another three will arrive on Wednesday.

"For the three years we've been together, we've been through a good amount. This totally validated the fact I want to be with her. I want to get married and live with her the rest of my life," Alyssa Weaver, a nursing student, said. "If we can make it through all we've been through so far, why can't we be married and spend the rest of our lives together?"

Misha Gibson, another participant, told local CBS affiliate News Channel 7: “Growing up thinking about the person you're going to marry, and then you meet that person, and realize that you can't here in the state we call home. That's disheartening.”

The protest comes at a particularly opportune time: as The Guardian points out, the bid coincides with as the Republican party's presidential hopefuls -- most of whom are vocal in their opposition of same-sex marriage -- gather in South Carolina ahead of the state's primary, scheduled for next Saturday.

Still, Greenville officials told The Guardian that it will be business as usual. "We will very politely explain to them that South Carolina law prohibits the license of marriage to same sex couples," said probate judge Debora Faulkner.

State law explicitly stipulates that marriage must be between a man and a woman, after a 2006 constitutional amendment, which was approved by 78 percent of voters, banned same-sex marriage in the state.

Comments

[none23]

06:15 PM on 04/26/2012

What I don't understand is that there are so many people getting a divorce and a man and a woman pop out babies left and right just to get on wellfair and have more taxes paid to them at the end of the year and and use our goverment system to get by life the easy way . I belivie same sex marriage should be legal. This is suppose to be a free country but in realitly it's not a free country. We are controlled by our goverment. If I go to work every single day working my butt off where the people that are living off our wellfair and is not trying to make something of their selves than they should be limited just like same sex marriage is limited. What's wrong with this picture. We are hard working human beings just like the rest of this country and all we are asking is to have the same rights as everyone else in this country.

[gaydood]

07:41 PM on 01/20/2012

LaureenMillarHolt
Commented 24 minutes ago in Gay Voices

“The primary purpose of marriage is the propagatio­n of the species, e.g., humankind.

2 people of same sex is a sterile union. No children can emanate from it.

Another reason aside from the basic definition of marriage as being 1 man + 1 woman, 2 people of 1 sex don't qualify for marriage. Cannot propagate the species NATURALLY.

Forget any argument about in-vitro fertilizat­ion & other "reproduct­ive technologi­es." That is only man doing end-runs around nature & God's intentions­.”

>>>>>>>

so u want to mix church and state?

why should i pay into SS if i cant leave it to my hubby?

r u Gods spoksmodel?

[Atwill]

03:01 PM on 01/22/2012

This Laureen homophobe has sent me a number of , shall we say , interesting post. Another clueless person.

[Contact1972]

11:41 AM on 01/28/2012

Been there-I'm astonished at her willfull ignorance.

[Contact1972]

11:50 AM on 01/28/2012

What scares me is she honestly believes she's right!

[LaureenMillarHolt]

07:32 PM on 01/19/2012

Anybody surprised by this snarky behavior on these "couples'" part?

Homosexual marriage is outlawed in SC. By constitutional amendment that 78% of voters approved of.

Something about that that these characters don't understand....?

[blue rylie]

07:40 AM on 01/20/2012

We don't vote on rights. Perhaps that is something that these 'characters' do understand, while others have yet to grasp that point. Equal rights is not a voter's issue, and the time is coming when those rights will be reflected throughout the nation.

[LaureenMillarHolt]

06:52 PM on 01/20/2012

News flash: Yeah, we DO vote on rights. Sorry if that disappoints you.

There is no such thing as homosexual "marriage." Is an oxymoron.

My opinion. You're entitled to yours like I am to mine.

[jonandian]

07:53 PM on 01/20/2012

See the problem is you cant ration with someone who is uneducated and a bigot. They dont listen to reason, ration, science, or history. Just their 2000 year old book

[LaureenMillarHolt]

07:01 PM on 01/20/2012

So these people are applying for a marriage license knowing full well the law is not on their side, & that they're going to get some "publicity" out of it. So they can then howl loud & long about how their "right!" is being "denied!" them, how they're being "discriminated against!"

Hmmm. Maybe I ought to let my juvenile son go to the DMV, or to the Army recruiter, whatever, to apply for a driver's license or to enlist, knowing full well he can't get it, just to get some "publicity" for something he "wants" that 1) he isn't qualified for, & 2) the law is not supportive of.

IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE (after reading this piece) that I'm amazed I haven't thought of it before!

[socraticus]

08:59 PM on 01/18/2012

Progress is being made. Too slowly, though, for my taste. Obviously we're leaps and bounds better than the pre-stonewall days, so I know that slowly doesn't mean never. For those who say "Keep dreaming, things will never change." Consider this. Things change radically. In 1966 (when trans people had the Compton Cafeteria Riots in the Tenderloin) even in San Francisco cross-dressing was illegal. Yeah, imagine that. Now Lloyd and Rusty and Woody and friends can hang 100% nude 100% legally while walking down Castro. Things change. When I joined COURAGE at the University of North Texas in 1997 (a gay-straight alliance), DADT was controversial. We didn't know if it was staying or going, but it going meant going back to no gays allowed under any circumstances. Now DADT is gone AND gays can serve openly. Not too long ago exactly ZERO states allowed same-sex marriage. Things change. Things change.

[ndnmamapattie]

02:12 PM on 01/18/2012

I raised my kids and Im gay ....... My kids choose to be stright . They never judged me . Nor did there friends... Why cant we get married and have a normal life.... It is our rights We Are human God made us just like he made every one else...... If Gods going to condem me because the only sin I do is to love the woman I have choose to spend the rest of my life with . Then I havent seen that in the bible I read. In the book of ruth in part of the marriage vowels ( till death do us part comes from two woman protraying there love HELLO .......Dont judge me love me My God is a loving God and to Judge is a SIN .......... ty ndnmamapattie

[Ioan Lightoller]

03:12 PM on 01/18/2012

Fanned and faved. Very nicely said.

[practiceempathy]

04:20 PM on 01/18/2012

Wait. You believe your kids CHOSE to be straight?

[ndnmamapattie]

12:18 PM on 01/28/2012

no it was there choice to be what they wanted no matter i would not judge them nor would it change how i feel about them.....Its not my place to judge my kids nor is it yours its Gods. Lets leave it to him.......we have a choice in life rather we wear red shoes or blue rather we be docters or lawers BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MY KIDS OR ANY ONES KIDS ( YOU DONT MESS WITH A MOTHERS KIDS)

[rockysparks]

09:29 AM on 01/18/2012

My adult children are all supporters of gay marriage and frequently try to play matchmakers, in an effort to find me a husband. I've met a whole bunch of very nice old gay men so far. The kids are afraid that I'll move in with them otherwise ...

[practiceempathy]

04:24 PM on 01/18/2012

Rocky, you can move in with me, if it comes to that.

[rockysparks]

07:14 PM on 01/18/2012

All right, but you gotta be quiet during my naps ...

[bluntobject]

02:42 AM on 01/18/2012

Bigoted heads exploding all over the place! :) How wonderful...

[LaureenMillarHolt]

09:06 PM on 01/20/2012

Speaking of yours, I take it....?

[bluntobject]

11:27 PM on 01/20/2012

No honey, yours.

[Brad Betschen]

12:09 AM on 01/18/2012

Awesome. Let's get another 5 states going.

[gaydood]

07:53 PM on 01/17/2012

LET US MARRY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[itsjules]

02:46 AM on 01/18/2012

I'd give you MY "right" to marry if I could. I'm never going to use it!

Why can't we transfer it, us straights, if we never want to use it?

[LaureenMillarHolt]

09:07 PM on 01/20/2012

It's a non-transferable "right."

[Contact1972]

11:45 AM on 01/28/2012

OMG-I'm so sorry about Linus! What happened?

[practiceempathy]

04:25 PM on 01/18/2012

I will never utter those words.

[gaydood]

06:22 PM on 01/18/2012

i dont want to marry u

[eliasasm]

07:45 PM on 01/17/2012

This whole thing is so friggin' stupid! A marriage license is a civil document. However you choose to define marriage, for it to be legal there has to be a civil document. You would think that in America no one would be denied a civil document just because of a disagreement over the definition of a word which has nothing to do with the civil document. You can deny someone's "marriage" all day long if it makes you feel good but, you should never deny a civil right and feel good about it. This is so absurd on so many levels.

[practiceempathy]

04:27 PM on 01/18/2012

This is true, eliasasm.

Marriage is a very different thing to a religious Catholic couple than it is to an atheist couple.

It's many different things to many different people, but in the end, it IS a CONTRACT, and gay Americans paying their first-class tax dollars should have access to that SAME first-class certificate.

It's a no brainer, but our country has a huge, problematic history of not putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to civil liberties and civil rights.

[LaureenMillarHolt]

07:41 PM on 01/19/2012

A civil document has less to do with marriage than the parties themselves.

There aren't too many places around that define marriage as anything but a woman & a man.
The places that do need to repeal any statute that lets anybody but a man & a woman marry.

[gaydood]

07:53 PM on 01/19/2012

why should str8s have SS suviorship and we can not?

[eliasasm]

08:55 PM on 01/19/2012

Why on Earth would anyone want to keep a segment of our humanity as lesser than themselves? As I said, this is absurd on so many levels and is based on distaste with something you do not like. And unfortunately, we are all paying the price just because you want to make an issue where there isn't one. Humanity thrives when we love and support each other as the connected human beings that we are. Allowing two people of the same gender to enter into the institution that some say is the foundation of society is only a positive thing for everyone. How can those marriages that will confirm and support and defend that institution exactly the same as everyone else be a harmful thing in anyway? One's heart has to be hateful to see this any other way.

[Atwill]

07:10 PM on 01/17/2012

While I think this is great, six is not alot. try making it 600 couples in each office, and cram the office so much that no straight couple can get in all day . THAT will make the statement .

[David Moore]

08:15 PM on 01/17/2012

Why stop at 600? Go for 6,000, or 60,000! Rights should never be put to the vote of the people. It disappoints completely that so many states are blinded by pure bigotry.

[Atwill]

08:43 PM on 01/17/2012

I love it. i agree. fill the license offices to the brim and block the way so no one lese can get up to the counter.

[evil-bob]

09:24 AM on 01/18/2012

I agree with your sentiment. Unfortunately six couples were all that volunteered. (Please remember that in places like South Carolina it is still completely legal to be fired for the sole reason of being gay, so statements like these are potentially risky for many.) This event also happened in October in Asheville, NC, where about 30 couples participated. (Asheville is about 1/10th the size of Greenville, but much more liberal.) The Campaign for Southern Equality plans to have as many couples as they can get continue this movement in other southern cities in other southern states over the coming months. They will get to 600 at some point.

[Atwill]

09:56 AM on 01/18/2012

sad but true. that is why we need a fed law protecting gays in the work place.

[LaureenMillarHolt]

09:18 PM on 01/20/2012

Well, good for them!

[jonandian]

04:53 PM on 01/17/2012

The rights of the minority SHOULD NEVER be up for vote by the majority.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.- Martin Luther King Jr.

[gaydood]

07:53 PM on 01/17/2012

NEVER EVER !!! THEY WANT TO DO THAT HERE IN MN ! bumms me out

[jonandian]

08:50 PM on 01/17/2012

I know i follow all the state laws and bans. I am not happy with that. Would love to donate to help freedom. We have not shopped at Target since their Donation of 150K in 2010. I will never forgive that A Hole CEO for what he did.

[GirlwithaPlan]

01:31 AM on 01/18/2012

gaydood, they're trying to do the same thing here in Indiana too.

[practiceempathy]

04:29 PM on 01/18/2012

It's deeply depressing, how Americans so casually adopted that trend: voting on others' rights.

It was sickening.