NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–The Hawaii Log Cabin Republicans have folded, saying that they disagree with the national chapter’s fight to legalize same-sex “marriage.”
The Hawaii Reporter newspaper said that Jeffrey Bingham Mead, head of the Hawaii Log Cabin Republicans, has become disgruntled with the direction of the national organization, which is attempting to overturn defense of marriage acts across the country. Log Cabin Republicans is a group of homosexual Republicans who work to elect like-minded Republicans nationwide.
“All of us, including me, believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. I offer no apologies to anyone,” Mead told the newspaper.
After the Massachusetts’ high court issued its pro-same-sex “marriage” ruling last November, Mead said he was asked by the national body to fight and overturn Hawaii’s defense of marriage act, which prevents the recognition of same-sex “marriage” in the state.
“None of us have any desire to go into this rocky and controversial territory,” Mead told the Hawaii Reporter.
A statement on the Hawaii Log Cabin Republicans website reads: “The LCR Hawaii Chapter has folded.” It includes a link to the national website.
National Log Cabin Republicans officials say the Hawaii body was not an official chapter.
“There’s nothing to disband,” Chris Barron, political director for Log Cabin Republicans, told Advocate.com. “We have members working in Hawaii, but there’s no official chapter.”
Log Cabin Republican members have been frustrated in recent months with President Bush’s support for the Federal Marriage Amendment. A CBS News poll in May showed that 60 percent of the nation support a constitutional marriage amendment.
N.Y. PERMANENT INJUNCTION — The controversial mayor of New Paltz, N.Y. was issued a permanent injunction June 7 that prevents him from presiding over any more same-sex “marriages.”
Ulster County Judge E. Michael Kavanagh issued the injunction to Mayor Jason West, asserting that West’s willful disobedience of the law “has profound and unsettling implications.”
In February, West presided over more than 20 same-sex “marriages” despite the fact that the clerk refused to issue any marriage licenses. Liberty Counsel sued West, and a temporary injunction subsequently was issued. Kavanagh’s order extends that injunction.
Liberty Counsel is representing Robert Hebel, a member of the New Paltz board of trustees.
“All mayors throughout the United States should be on notice,” Liberty Counsel President Mathew Staver said in a statement. “An attempt to disregard the plain law of the land by elected officials should be viewed for what it is — illegal activity that must be brought to justice.”
Kavanagh seemed to agree.
“[West’s action], if accepted, would mean that the mayor is a law unto himself and would in certain circumstances have power that is simply incompatible with a democratic form of government based on the rule of law.”
Although New York does not have a defense of marriage act explicitly banning same-sex “marriage,” state law does include references to the “bride” and “groom.”
West is a member of the liberal Green Party.
STOPPED, AGAIN — Victoria Dunlap, county clerk for Sandoval County, N.M., was told by a judge June 9 that she still cannot issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Several days earlier, her attorney had advised her that a temporary restraining order against her was no longer valid.
But District Judge Louis McDonald said June 9 that the order is still in effect, the Associated Press reported.
Dunlap issued more than 60 marriage licenses to same-sex couples in February, only to have the state attorney general issue an advisory opinion saying that the licenses were invalid. Dunlap announced in March that she would try again, only to have the temporary restraining order issued.
Dunlap is finishing her term in office. She recently lost in a bid for a county commission seat.
CONTROVERSY IN FRANCE — France witnessed its first same-sex “marriage” June 5 — sort of. Begles Mayor Noel Mamere presided over the “wedding” of two homosexual men, despite the fact that government officials had said the action would be illegal.
Government officials said after the “wedding” that they would move to have it voided and also move to have the mayor suspended for a month and fined, AP reported. But the couple’s lawyer said that he would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
RECALL EFFORT FAILS — An attempt to have two Multnomah County, Ore., officials recalled has failed, AP reported June 7. Conservatives in the county had been circulating a recall petition in an attempt to remove county commissioners Diane Linn and Lisa Naito, both of whom had voted in March to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Approximately 37,000 signatures were needed but only 35,000 gathered, AP said.
An Oregon judge ordered the county to stop issuing the licenses, and the case is expected to end up before the Oregon Supreme Court. Meanwhile, pro-family groups in the state are gathering signatures in hopes of placing a state constitutional marriage amendment before voters this fall. If it succeeds, the court case would become mute.
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For more information about the national debate over same-sex “marriage,” visit www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage.
