What's happening in New Mexico?

Back in the heyday of Bush-Rove, who cynically ran for office on a wave of anti-gay sentiment, there was a flurry of anti-equal-marriage amendments to state Constitutions. These now must be laboriously undone. New Mexico somehow managed to escape either amendment or initiative, and its laws and constitution say nothing either way on same sex couples.

Now,three counties in NM will provide licenses to same sex couples. From the StarTribune:

An Albuquerque judge on Monday ordered the clerk of New Mexico's most populous county to join two other counties in the state in issuing marriage licenses for gay and lesbian couples.

State District Judge Alan Malott ruled that New Mexico's constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.... [A] judge in a separate case ordered the Santa Fe County clerk to issue same-sex licenses. The clerk of Dona Ana County in southern New Mexico decided on his own early last week to recognize same-sex marriage.

Predictably, Republican legislators are trying to stop it, but it's not clear how, since there is no law against it. They could try a Prop8-style effort. Remember, in CA, the state supreme court found that marriage was legal, and 18,000 couples married in the 6 months between that decision and the passage of the H8 amendment (which has now fallen). We'll see. Meanwhile, one more quote from the paper.

Christine Butler of Albuquerque, who opposes gay marriage and attended the hearing, said the judge's ruling violates her rights.

"I don't want to bring my children or go to places and see same-sex couples showing a lot of affection. ... That's against God's law," said Butler.

Bless her heart. Honey, we don't have to be married to go places and show affection. Your children are just going to have to learn that there's a whole rainbow of people out there, whether you approve of us or not. And those of us with faith are quite sure that God is smiling upon us.