Late last week, the Indiana General Assembly made it a felony for same sex couples to apply for a marriage license in their state.
what eye thynk: The State of Indiana currently has a law on the books that specifically bans same sex marriage. The Republican led General Assembly is considering putting a measure on a state wide ballot next year that would amend their constitution to include a same sex marriage ban.
But apparently this isn't enough for these politicians. While they're deciding whether the citizens of Indiana will support their rush to guarantee second class citizenship for same sex partners, they have decided to set up this additional felony roadblock for those partners seeking marriage equality.
Protest groups like the "We Do" Campaign, encourages same-sex couples to protest anti-gay marriage laws by applying for marriage licenses in their state. The Indiana General Assembly's new felony law prohibits even this benign form of protest by making giving false information on a marriage license a class D felony. Since Indiana's marriage license application has a space for "female applicant" and "male applicant", any same sex couple completing the application would be in violation of the law.
Beginning in July 2014, any same sex couple completing a marriage license application will be guilty of a Level 6 felony, which is punishable by 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine. Any clerk who issues a license to a same-sex couple or anyone who performs a same-sex marriage--be they clergyman, judge, mayor, or city clerk--would be guilty of a Class B Misdemeanor which could bring 180 days in jail and a fine up to $1,000.
I have to give Indiana points for originality, but their close-minded, Republican led intolerance for anyone who isn't "one of us" is really on display with this move.
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