I have never done a same sex wedding.
Up until the Supreme Court decision, I have only been asked once. That contact was a call for a wedding between two women.
At the time such weddings were illegal in Missouri. The legislature, in prohibiting same sex weddings, put a provision in the law that even the use of the word “marriage” in a ceremony between two same sex people was illegal and grounds for an officiate to lose their right to perform any wedding ceremonies in Missouri.
I explained to the couple that I would be glad to perform a Covenant ceremony, joining them in a Covenant, but I couldn’t use the word "marriage" because of the law.
The couple was quite insistent on the word “marriage” had to be used throughout the ceremony. I told them I would be glad to marry them in Illinois (which at the time allowed “civil unions,” and had no prohibition against using the word “marriage” in a same sex ceremony. When I told them I just couldn’t do that in Missouri without the possibility of losing my right to perform marriages…they hung up.
Now the right to be married for both heterosexual and homosexuals is the law of the land. On the day of the Supreme Court decision I got a call from two guys who wanted to get married and wanted to know if I was willing to perform the ceremony.
I told them yes. I am awaiting a return call.
Up until the Supreme Court decision, I have only been asked once. That contact was a call for a wedding between two women.
At the time such weddings were illegal in Missouri. The legislature, in prohibiting same sex weddings, put a provision in the law that even the use of the word “marriage” in a ceremony between two same sex people was illegal and grounds for an officiate to lose their right to perform any wedding ceremonies in Missouri.
I explained to the couple that I would be glad to perform a Covenant ceremony, joining them in a Covenant, but I couldn’t use the word "marriage" because of the law.
The couple was quite insistent on the word “marriage” had to be used throughout the ceremony. I told them I would be glad to marry them in Illinois (which at the time allowed “civil unions,” and had no prohibition against using the word “marriage” in a same sex ceremony. When I told them I just couldn’t do that in Missouri without the possibility of losing my right to perform marriages…they hung up.
Now the right to be married for both heterosexual and homosexuals is the law of the land. On the day of the Supreme Court decision I got a call from two guys who wanted to get married and wanted to know if I was willing to perform the ceremony.
I told them yes. I am awaiting a return call.
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