Jarrod Harms (left) and Kirk Bell say they encountered a hostile employee when they applied for a marriage license. – Photo: KHBS.
A gay couple in Arkansas say they were subjected to derogatory comments by an employee of a county clerk’s office when they tried to apply for a marriage license.
Kirk Bell and Jarrod Harms went to the Benton County Clerk’s Office last week to apply for the license, but they say that when an employee of the clerk’s office was getting their paperwork, the employee made derogatory comments about same-sex marriage, claiming that it was “wrong” and shouldn’t be “a thing.”
The employee also read out a list of Justices of the Peace who would be open to marrying the couple, and those who would decline, Bell claims.
“She chose to offer her own opinions on same-sex unions. We chose not to respond, not to engage,” Bell told Fort Smith-based ABC affiliate KHBS. “Neither of us are hurt or angry, we were surprised that type of discrimination would rear its head in 2020.”
“When those thoughts came out, I was dumbfounded. I wasn’t able to respond except to say…okay,” Harms added.
The couple later complained to Benton County Clerk Betsy Harrell about the incident, and she promised to remedy the situation right away.
“The comments made to Mr. Bell and Mr. Harms were unacceptable and do not represent the policies of my office,” Harrell said in a statement to KHBS. “I am incredibly sorry for what they experienced this week.
“When I became aware of the situation, I immediately expressed our sincerest apologies to Mr. Bell and Mr. Harms, and appropriate disciplinary action with the employee involved has been taken,” Harrell added. “Our employees are well aware of our anti-discrimination policies. Failure to treat all customers with dignity, respect, and professionalism will not be tolerated.”
Because the dispute relates to a personnel situation, details of what disciplinary action was taken could not be released publicly, according to county officials.
Bell says he and Harms simply hope that no one else will be subjected to similar treatment.
“Same-sex marriage has been federally legal for years. We just want to ensure that the proper training is done so that personal opinions aren’t warranted when someone is trying to get a marriage license,” he said. “More than anything we want to expose it and bring attention to it so that the next couple in line doesn’t have to hear those remarks.”
Rebecca Reynolds, a firefighter and paramedic for Kansas City, Missouri, will receive a $1.3 million settlement from the city for enduring 21 years of ageist, sexist, and anti-LGBTQ harassment from her male co-workers.
The Kansas City Council approved the settlement on September 26. It's the largest in city history according to The Kansas City Star, and will be awarded to the 61-year-old in exchange for her retiring from the fire department and agreeing to drop two lawsuits alleging discrimination based on her gender, sexual orientation, and age.
Reynolds also promised not to file a third lawsuit based on an incident in which a fellow firefighter allegedly urinated on things in her office in 2023 while she was on extended medical leave.
Michael Knowles argued during a recent episode of his show that gay couples aren't fit to raise children because they lack attributes or qualities possessed by those of the opposite gender that are essential to child-rearing.
The right-wing windbag was defending University of Pennsylvania law professor Amy Wax, who made racially insensitive, sexist, and homophobic comments in class. Wax also invited a white supremacist to address one of her classes.
The University punished Wax, who has a history of controversial statements, with a suspension and docked her pay by half. It also stripped her of her endowed chair as the Robert Mundheim Professor of Law, and is blocking her from receiving summer pay in perpetuity.
Vice President Kamala Harris recently appeared on The Howard Stern Show to speak about her presidential campaign and pitch herself to the radio host's massive audience. She opened up about various topics, including the risk that a future Trump administration would pose to same-sex couples.
During last Tuesday's hour-long interview, Stern, a supporter of LGBTQ rights, mentioned how Senate Republicans had refused to consider any nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court after the death of Antonin Scalia, denying President Barack Obama the chance to nominate a liberal justice to the court. The high court is now skewed 6-3 in favor of Republican appointees -- including three named by Trump -- and, should Trump win again, could skew even further right.
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A gay couple in Arkansas say they were subjected to derogatory comments by an employee of a county clerk’s office when they tried to apply for a marriage license.
Kirk Bell and Jarrod Harms went to the Benton County Clerk’s Office last week to apply for the license, but they say that when an employee of the clerk’s office was getting their paperwork, the employee made derogatory comments about same-sex marriage, claiming that it was “wrong” and shouldn’t be “a thing.”
The employee also read out a list of Justices of the Peace who would be open to marrying the couple, and those who would decline, Bell claims.
“She chose to offer her own opinions on same-sex unions. We chose not to respond, not to engage,” Bell told Fort Smith-based ABC affiliate KHBS. “Neither of us are hurt or angry, we were surprised that type of discrimination would rear its head in 2020.”
“When those thoughts came out, I was dumbfounded. I wasn’t able to respond except to say…okay,” Harms added.
The couple later complained to Benton County Clerk Betsy Harrell about the incident, and she promised to remedy the situation right away.
“The comments made to Mr. Bell and Mr. Harms were unacceptable and do not represent the policies of my office,” Harrell said in a statement to KHBS. “I am incredibly sorry for what they experienced this week.
“When I became aware of the situation, I immediately expressed our sincerest apologies to Mr. Bell and Mr. Harms, and appropriate disciplinary action with the employee involved has been taken,” Harrell added. “Our employees are well aware of our anti-discrimination policies. Failure to treat all customers with dignity, respect, and professionalism will not be tolerated.”
See also: Upstate New York town must pay gay couple $25,000 for refusing them a marriage license
Because the dispute relates to a personnel situation, details of what disciplinary action was taken could not be released publicly, according to county officials.
Bell says he and Harms simply hope that no one else will be subjected to similar treatment.
“Same-sex marriage has been federally legal for years. We just want to ensure that the proper training is done so that personal opinions aren’t warranted when someone is trying to get a marriage license,” he said. “More than anything we want to expose it and bring attention to it so that the next couple in line doesn’t have to hear those remarks.”
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