Kansas Governor Issues Order to Protect Gay Marriage Foes

Kansas is the last state to recognize same-sex couples’ marriages as a matter of state policy – and even then, that recognition remains incomplete. He said the order could allow state contactors to discriminate, such as by refusing to provide space in a homeless shelter to gay couples. “It does not permit bans on same-sex marriage“.

“Gov. Brownback is looking for ways to treat gay and lesbian Kansans as second-class citizens”, said Tom Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas, the state’s leading gay-rights group.

Kansas Republican governor Sam Brownback, a longtime opponent of marriage equality, today issued an executive order that shields clergy members and religious organizations from being penalized by the state for such opposition.

Nixon said the latest order will send a message that all state agencies are expected to review their operations and make any necessary changes to guarantee that same-sex couples receive equal treatment.

However, those same-sex spouses may not file their taxes together.

Department of Revenue spokeswoman Jeannine Koranda said the Division of Vehicles handled its first name change Monday. “That’s wrong, it’s not who we are – and it must change”, Gov. Nixon said. (We’ve written about SOGI laws in Roeland Park, Kansas.) It was a pointless step backward for the state and a cheap attempt to score points with the ugliest edges of Brownback’s conservative base. “This is not rocket science”. In explaining his order “protecting the religious freedom of Kansas clergy”, Brownback added this, “We also recognize that religious liberty is at the heart of who we are as Kansans and Americans and should be protected”. Previous to the ruling, Verizon, Delta and IBM, among others, had rescinded coverage to domestic partners who lived in states with legal same-sex marriage. “This was a department review”.

Nixon also called on state lawmakers to pass the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act, which would grant all Missourians the same rights under the law that Brownback stripped state employees of in Kansas previous year. “No”, Sara Belfry, a spokesperson for the Dept. of Health and the Environment, told BuzzFeed News.

Couples have been marrying in some local jurisdictions in Kansas since November pursuant to a prior federal appeals court ruling in favor of marriage equality and a subsequent district court ruling.

After the ruling, many DeKalb legislators and representatives responded to the outcome. Some argued it infringed on states rights and some said it violated the “sanctity of marriage”, arguing marriage should only be between a man and woman.

“We’re just trying to make sure we don’t miss anything”, she said.