Madison County one of seven to issue marriage licenses to gay couples on Monday
By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer
MADISON, HUNTSVILLE – After a federal court order struck down Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage Jan. 23, Madison County became one of seven counties in the state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples Feb. 9, County Probate Judge Tommy Ragland confirmed.
“We’ve sure had some busy days,” Ragland said on Feb. 11.
The Williams Institute, a think tank at the UCLA School of Law, estimated that 3,300 same-sex couples in Alabama are set to take advantage of the order and marry within the next three years.
On Feb. 9, Governor Robert Bentley issued a statement, writing that he was “disappointed that a single Federal court judge disregarded the vote of the Alabama people to define marriage as between a man and woman.”
However, he continued, “We will follow the rule of law in Alabama, and allow the issue of same sex marriage to be worked out through the proper legal channels.”
Gena Rawdon, who owns and operates the Madison School of Massage Therapy on the Madison side of Slaughter Road, became online certified last fall through the Universal Life Church to officiate wedding ceremonies.
“It was one of those things that I wanted to offer as an option,” Rawdon said.
Since she was certified, Rawdon said, two straight couples interested in having her officiate their ceremonies have contacted her. In addition, a same-sex couple from the Shoals area contacted Rawdon to perform nuptials.
“It’s a matter of work schedules,” Rawdon said on Feb. 13. “They want a smaller ceremony to happen.”
Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, late Sunday, issued an order for probate judges across the state to ignore the federal court ruling and not issue licenses to same-sex couples.
Ragland went with the federal order on Monday morning, Feb. 9.
“Who’s ever won against the federal government?” Ragland asked. “I wouldn’t go against the federal government.”
As the week progressed, more Alabama counties began issuing licenses to same-sex couples. Twenty-three counties comprising 45 percent of the state’s population were issuing licenses to all couples as of Feb. 11.
