Texas County Clerk Refuses to Issue Same-Sex Marriage Licenses Due to Religious Beliefs

The clerk of Hood County, Texas has recently refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses following the Supreme Court ruling that made same-sex marriage a constitutional right.

Katie Lang, the clerk for Hood County, told local media outlets that she has not issued any same-sex marriage licenses, nor does she plan to, based on her religious belief that same-sex marriage is a sin.

"It's my religious liberty, my belief in traditional marriage," she said. "Nobody has tried to get one, nobody has called about them … other than reporters."

Lang added to WFAA-TV that she believes same-sex marriage is "morally wrong," saying: "Morally, this is wrong."

"The truth is, it is in the Bible that marriage is between one man and one woman," Lang added.

"You can go other places and get a marriage license," she said, "so it's not that I'm restricting anyone from getting a marriage license."

Lang's decision to not issue same-sex marriage licenses comes shortly after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement saying county clerks in the state do not have to issue same-sex marriage licenses if the process goes against their religious beliefs.

"County clerks and their employees retain religious freedoms that may allow accommodation of their religious objections to issuing same-sex marriage licenses," Paxton wrote in his statement.

"Justices of the peace and judges similarly retain religious freedoms and may claim that the government cannot force them to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies over their religious objections," Paxton added.