KENTUCKY: Gay Minister And Partner Arrested After Marriage License Sit-In

Yesterday an openly gay Kentucky pastor and his partner were arrested for refusing to leave a Louisville city clerk's office after being denied a marriage license.

The two started by peacefully demonstrating outside of Metro Hall with a small group of people in the afternoon. Blanchard, who is a minister at Highland Baptist Church, then walked into the County Clerk’s office with James and asked to apply for a marriage license. Same sex marriage is not legal in Kentucky, so the couple was denied their request. “It is humiliating to be told such a thing and it is degrading,” Blanchard said. The men began a sit-in in the office. It continued after the office closed at 5 p.m. until just before 6 p.m. when police were called. “The officer was very kind. He stated that after 5 p.m. it’s considering trespassing and we would not voluntarily leave, so he would have to arrest us,” Blanchard said.

The couple was released shortly after the arrest and face a civil fine for criminal trespassing. (Tipped by JMG reader Dani)