PoliticsPoliticsoklahoma-gay-marriageGay Marriage

Oklahoma House Approves Bill Allowing Ministers To Refuse To Perform Gay Marriages

Oklahoma House Approves Bill Allowing Ministers To Refuse To Perform Gay Marriages
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Senior Editor, Breaking News, HuffPost

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The Oklahoma House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday that would allow ministers to refuse to perform gay marriages, according to the AP.

In January 2014, a federal judge ruled Oklahoma's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.

The AP reports on the bill passed by the Oklahoma House on Thursday:

House members voted 88-7 Thursday for the bill by Republican Rep. David Brumbaugh. The measure now goes to the state Senate.

The bill grants licensed ministers in the state immunity from any civil claim based on their refusal to recognize a marriage that violates the minister's "conscience or religious beliefs."

The measure is one of several that have been targeted by gay rights groups as discriminatory against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Brumbaugh says pastors in his district requested the bill after a federal court last year struck down Oklahoma's ban on same-sex marriage in the state.

Oklahoma Gov. Marry Fallin (R) has spoken out against same-sex marriage, saying the Supreme Court's refusal to hear a case fighting for the ban in Oklahoma was "both undemocratic and a violation of states' rights."

"Rather than allowing states to make their own policies that reflect the values and views of their residents, federal judges have inserted themselves into a state issue to pursue their own agendas," she said in October 2014.

Read more here.

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Before You Go

10 Incredible Improvements For LGBT People Since The First State Legalized Gay Marriage
Massachusetts Becomes The First(01 of10)
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Massachusetts became the first state to welcome gay marriages in 2004. Since then, 17 states and Washington, DC have followed their lead and now allow same-sex couples to tie the knot. (credit:Darren McCollester via Getty Images)
Increase In Support Of Marriage Equality(02 of10)
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Only 37 percent of Americans supported marriage equality for same-sex couples in in 2003. Now, in 2014, 59 percent of individuals support this right. (credit:Jose Luis Pelaez Inc via Getty Images)
DOMA(03 of10)
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The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) passed in 1996, barring same-sex couples from marrying at the federal level. The Supreme Court struck down the core of this legislation in 2013, ensuring 1,100+ federal protections for gay couples. (credit:AP)
Protections For Transgender Minors(04 of10)
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The American Psychiatric Association announced in December 2012 that identifying as transgender is no longer considered a disorder, 38 years after removing same-sex attraction from its list of disorders. (credit:Alistair Berg via Getty Images)
Obama Supports Marriage Equality(05 of10)
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President Barack Obama made history in 2012 when he came out in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples. The decision made him the first American sitting president in history to make such a move. (credit:John Churchman via Getty Images)
LGBT Allies In Hollywood(06 of10)
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Over the past ten years we've seen an explosion of support for the LGBT community in Hollywood, from LGBT celebrities themselves like Lady Gaga and Ellen DeGeneres, to non-queer allies like Brad Pitt and Anne Hathaway. (credit:Mark Sullivan via Getty Images)
Serve Openly In The Military(07 of10)
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President Barack Obama signed the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in September 2011, reversing President Bill Clinton's 1993 legislation that barred lesbians and gays from serving openly in the military. Transgender individuals, however, are still not allowed to openly reveal their gender identity while serving. (credit:Jose Fernando Ogura/Curitiba/Brazil via Getty Images)
Opposition: No Longer Relevant(08 of10)
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Anti-gay organizations such as the National Organization for Marriage and Family Research Council are becoming increasingly silent and slowly losing funding. The Catholic Church has also begun to show a shifting away from anti-gay attacks, particularly with Pope Francis' iconic "Who am I to judge?" proclamation. (credit:Franco Origlia via Getty Images)
Hospital Visitation Rights(09 of10)
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In 2010, President Obama ordered that hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid payments must grant patients the right to designate who can visit and consult with them, enabling hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples. (credit:Sebastian Rose via Getty Images)
Marriage Equality Court Cases(10 of10)
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Couples fighting for the right to marry are continuing to legally challenge their right to marry at the state level. There are currently more than 70 active cases in approximately 30 states. (credit:YOSHIKAZU TSUNO via Getty Images)
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