Editorial: Bevin’s big compromise

Sometimes reasonable solutions can come from the most unreasonable of situations.

That seems to be the case with Governor-elect Matt Bevin and his decision to remove the names of county clerks from marriage licenses.

Bevin is doing this to appease clerks who have a religious objection to issuing licenses for same-sex couples.

In fact, Bevin said this is one of the first actions he will take when he is sworn in as governor Dec. 8. He is only the second Republican governor in the last four decades and will replace current term-limited Gov. Steve Beshear.

“One thing I will take care of right away is we will remove the names of the county clerks from the marriage form,” Bevin told reporters in the state Capitol.

The fiscal conservative focused most of his gubernatorial campaign on economic issues such as the state’s pension crisis and antiquated tax code, but also touted his social conservatism once the marriage license issue started drawing public attention.

The Supreme Court decision in June to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide was a huge win for equality and one of the biggest achievements for civil rights in our lifetime. But there was naturally going to be some backlash, and unfortunately the greatest example of that backlash occurred right here in Kentucky.

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis made national headlines for refusing to issue marriage licenses in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage. Davis was jailed for five days after refusing federal orders.

As hot tempered as Bevin can be, he has found a reasonable solution to this situation, one that can be deemed a win-win. Clerks like Davis will have their names removed from marriage licenses, allowing them to keep from violating their religious beliefs, and same-sex couples can enjoy their new-found right to marry.

Some might argue this solution is unacceptable because it still promotes bigotry toward same sex couples and LGBTQ* people. But unfortunately some individuals are slower to progress than others.

The fact that same-sex couples can get married in Kentucky should be the focus, and ultimately all that will be lost is a name from a piece of paper.

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