Calif. County Clerk Vows: 'No Marriages'

Same-sex California couples will be able to tie the knot on Monday, but at least one county won't be performing any weddings, gay or straight. Kern County's clerk has announced that she will not solemnize any more vows, the Times reports. She cites budget constraints, but many think the decision is based on her rightward leanings.

Conservatives have flocked to the county to rally in support of the decision and are urging clerks across the state to follow suit. Two others did, though one has since reversed its decision. “She had the privilege to do it or not do it, and she chose to be on the unpopular side,” one activist says. Couples will still be able to get marriage licenses, but many say they'll protest the ban on bannes by being married in front of the clerk's office. (More California stories.)