Religious organisations could refuse same-sex marriages under new Nevada bill
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A bill which is progressing in the US state of Nevada would allow clergy members and religious organisations to refuse to recognise same-sex marriages.
The bill, which was voted through the Senate 19-2 on Monday, would actually remove language from Nevada’s laws saying the state only recognises marriage between one man and one woman.
The language is now defunct as the US Supreme Court back in 2015 legalised same-sex marriage across all 50 states.
But a religious exemption was added by the Nevada Senate before it would passed.
The process to adopt the amendment would take about five years, having to pass through both Houses of the legislature twice and go to voters in a ballot.
If it was to pass quickly, the earliest it could take effect is 2020, after Nevada voters get a chance to approve it.
Assembly Joint Resolution 2 was announced by Nelson Araujo, the assistant Assembly Majority Leader, as he said he was worried that the Supreme Court’s ruling in favour of same-sex marriage could be overturned.
Announcing Joint Resolution Two in February, Mr Araujo said the Silver State should “issue marriage licences to couples regardless of gender”.
Ten other states have considered deleting defunct language from their laws which previously meant only one man and one woman could get married.
But thirty-one states had already banned same-sex marriage by 2015, when the Supreme Court ruled.
An out gay legislator in the state of Nevada wants to ban licensed therapists from ‘gay cure’ therapy.
Five US states have already banned the practice, California, New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia.
Cincinnati, Ohio is the only other city to specifically ban the practice,https://thepinknews.com/2016/11/16/seattle-bans-gay-cure-therapy-for-kids/ joined by Seattle in November 2016.
Hawaii also introduced legislation to ban the practice in 2016.
The controversial practice seeks to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of an individual.
It has been widely disproven, particularly by most major medical bodies. The American Psychological Association has stated that the practice can be damaging, and can lead to depression, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse.
Lawyers from the Liberty Counsel, who defended Kim Davis the clerk who refused to marry gay couples, said they would sue Palm Springs if the county moves to ban gay ‘cure’ therapies.
The Nevada Governor has also signed a bill into law which allows foster kids to choose their own gender.
