US: Straight guys try to marry eachother to experience state’s marriage ban
Two heterosexual men in the US have attempted to get married – to experience for themselves their state’s ban on same-sex marriage.
Student Hunter Pauli chronicled his experience attempting to marry his straight roommate, Jacob, earlier this in month in Montana – before the state struck down the discriminatory ban.
Until this week, the state of Montana’s constitution said: “Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state.”
Explaining his decision to the Montana Kaimin, Mr Pauli said: “As a state-described ‘straight person’, I am incapable of feeling firsthand the emotional sting of being treated unequally by government for the people I prefer to have sex with.”
He recounted the pair’s rejection in the court, saying: “My girlfriend escorted Jacob and I to the Clerk’s office on the second floor of the Missoula County Courthouse.
“Our marriage attempt stalled almost immediately.
“The secretary kept his professional composure as what looked like a straight, albeit young couple requested a marriage certificate, but couldn’t hide his surprise when I handed him Jacob and I’s IDs.
“He explained that as the law read now, only applications between opposite-sex partners could be processed.
“Clerk of Court Shirley Faust… explained the fields under sex are automatically filled on the PDF as male for groom and female for bride and cannot be changed.
“They looked obviously hurt having to reject our application, and wished us luck in the 2015 legislative session.
“Public employees are forced to discriminate against their fellow citizens face to face, a dishonour legislators who make inequality binding have the luxury to put on the shoulders and consciences of others.
“One sentence of the state constitution prevents marriage equality, and one file enforces it. A better world is a key press away.”
Same-sex couples are now permitted to marry in the state.
