The New York Times published a story Wednesday evening suggesting Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., supports a Kentucky county clerk’s choice to ignore the law by refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
However, there’s a bit more to what the Florida lawmaker actually said.
Kim Davis of Rowan County, Ky., refuses to issue licenses to gay and lesbian couples, despite the Supreme Court ruling in June that these couples have a right to marriage. The Kentucky county clerk continues to do this even after several courts have ruled against her.
Rubio told the Times, “We should seek a balance between government’s responsibility to abide by the laws of our republic and allowing people to stand by their religious convictions.”
“While the clerk’s office has a governmental duty to carry out the law there should be a way to protect the religious freedom and conscience rights of individuals working in the office,” he added.
For the Times, the real story isn’t what Rubio said about governmental duty, the story is his comments on religious convictions.
“Marco Rubio Says Government Should Respect Kim Davis’s Beliefs,” its headline blared.
The story’s introductory paragraph reported, “Senator Marco Rubio of Florida said on Wednesday that the government should respect the beliefs of the Kentucky county clerk who has denied marriage licenses to same-sex couples, arguing that society needs to accommodate public officials who object to carrying out duties they say violate their religious beliefs.”
Though it’s accurate to report Rubio said the government should respect the clerk’s religious beliefs, he also stressed that elected officials have an obligation to follow the rule of law. The Times apparently thought the latter part wasn’t very interesting.
Rubio added in his remarks to the newspaper that, “Marriage is the most important institution in our society, and I believe it should be between one man and one woman.”
“Our nation was founded on the human right of religious freedom, and our elected leaders have a duty to protect that right by ensuring that no one is forced by the government to violate their conscience and deeply held religious beliefs about traditional marriage,” he added.
Davis, who is not a state employee but an elected official, said this week that she is acting under “God’s authority.” On Thursday, she will face a federal judge who will rule on whether she is in contempt of court.
(h/t @gabrielmalor)
