Second Oregon Judge Stops Performing Weddings After Gay Marriage Ruling

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A second Oregon judge reportedly stopped performing marriages after a federal court struck down the state’s ban on gay marriage, citing his personal religious beliefs.

Washington County Judge Thomas Kohl told The Oregonian he made the “personal choice” after a federal judge overturned the ban last year.

“Last summer for personal faith-based reasons, I decided to not perform weddings as a judge,” Kohl wrote in an email to The Oregonian. The judge has long been known for public displays of faith, and has performed weddings for years, according to the paper.

The news comes days after a state ethics investigation into another anti-gay marriage judge found Marion County Judge Vance Day displayed a photo of Adolf Hitler in the county courthouse. Day was the first Oregon judge to say publicly that he would not marry gay couples because of his religious beliefs.

Under Oregon state law, judges, county clerks, and other officials can perform weddings but are not required to, casting uncertainty on the legality of Kohl’s decision.

Rowan County, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis has led a highly publicized battle against granting marriage licenses to gay couples, and spent five days in jail for repeatedly refusing to comply with federal law.

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