Same Sex Marriage in Jefferson County?

While many counties in Tennessee and across the nation are embroiled in a do we or don’t we debate regarding the June 26, 2015 Supreme Court decision to allow same sex marriage, the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office has yet to see their first gay couple seeking a marriage license.

Frank Herndon, Jefferson County Court Clerk, said Friday, July 10, 2015 that, though there are always several applicants for marriage, there have been no same sex marriage license requests. In this regard, Jefferson County appears to be somewhat of an anomaly. In the ten surrounding counties-Hamblen, Sevier, Cocke, Grainger, Claiborne, Knox, Greene, Blount, Anderson, and Hawkins-only Grainger and Claiborne counties join Jefferson County in having not, yet, issued a marriage license to a same sex couple. Of the eight remaining counties that were polled six counties issued a marriage license to one or more same sex couples on the first day of availability. Anderson and Hawkins counties have issued marriage license to same sex couples but neither county did so on the first day available.

A handful of counties experienced a slower changeover in their systems and were not ready to issue licenses on the first day following the Supreme Court ruling and at least one county in Tennessee declined to issue same sex marriage licenses citing religious concerns. Jefferson County Clerk Herndon stated that his office will comply with the recent ruling and change when, or if, a request is made. In Tennessee there has been some response on the part of the Legislature to offer counter motions to the Supreme Court ruling but none are likely to have  impact on the issuance of marriage licenses to same sex couple and those that have been bantered around appear to be more a statement on the ruling than having any real teeth on the issue. Though the Legislature was reported to have been considering a special session regarding the Supreme Court decision, there are no hard numbers readily available to determine just how many same sex marriage licenses have been issued in the Volunteer State since the ruling was handed down.