Tennessee Enacts Law Allowing Officials to Decline Solemnizing Marriages

The move challenges the 2015 Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, sparking legal and civil rights concerns.

A new Tennessee law allows state officials to decline to solemnize marriages, undermining the Supreme Court's 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
Critics argue the law targets LGBTQ, interfaith, and interracial couples by allowing officials to refuse to solemnize marriages based on personal beliefs.
The law's passage reflects a broader conservative effort to challenge marriage equality and other personal freedoms, with a Supreme Court now leaning conservative.
Legal experts predict the law will face swift challenges, questioning its constitutionality and its potential to discriminate.
The law does not affect the ability to obtain a marriage license but raises concerns about the equal recognition and solemnization of marriages.