HB 1523 Survives First Legal Challenge

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A federal judge has declined to block a Mississippi gay marriage law in one challenge filed against it. But it’s still possible he will block the law after considering three other lawsuits.

U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves says two gay men who plan to marry each other within the next three years can’t prove they would face immediate harm if House Bill 1523 becomes law July 1. The American Civil Liberties Union, representing the couple, filed papers Tuesday asking Reeves to reconsider his Monday decision.

The law lets clerks cite religious objections to recuse themselves from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. State attorneys say it’s a reasonable accommodation to protect religious beliefs.

Mississippi was among several states that considered laws after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide.