Woman denied license to marry an animal, sparks new marriage lawsuit in Kentucky

Suzette Gutierrez Cachila Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Kentucky's Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who was briefly jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, makes remarks after receiving the "Cost of Discipleship" award at a Family Research Council conference in Washington September 25, 2015. | Reuters/James Lawler Duggan

Kentucky is making headlines again after officials refused to issue another marriage license, this time to a woman who wanted to marry an animal.

Elizabeth Ording filed a lawsuit against Davis, Attorney General Andy Beshear and Gov. Matt Bevin at the Kentucky Eastern District Court on July 19 for allegedly denying her the right to marry an animal.

The 27-year-old plaintiff said her lawyer informed her that the wedding could take place, but the state refused to allow it.

Ording argued that marrying an animal is not so different from marrying someone from the same sex.

Earlier this month, a man filed a lawsuit against Davis because she refused to issue a license for him to marry his laptop. The lawsuit was also filed against Beshear and Bevin.

The plaintiff, Mark "Chris" Sevier, wanted to prove that same-sex marriage is the same as marriage to an inanimate object.

Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, found the lawsuit "frivolous."

"There is obviously no right for a man to marry a machine. When you make gender irrelevant to a gender-based relationship you open Pandora's box and make a mockery out of marriage," he said.

Sevier had previously sued Texas for not allowing him to marry his Macbook.

In an interview with Houston Press, Sevier said his intention is to prove that the courts are allowing people to do morally unacceptable things like marrying someone from the same sex. He's challenging the courts to agree that this is what they have allowed to happen, or else let him marry his Macbook.

Davis, who serves as clerk at Rowan County, first made headlines in 2015 when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because doing so violated her religious convictions.

A lawsuit filed against her brought her behind bars for a few days, but she eventually claimed victory over the long-standing legal battle. She continues to serve as Rowan county clerk, and she is no longer obliged to sign marriage licenses for same-sex couples.