Penn. County Prepares Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

Despite the fact that same-sex marriage is prohibited in Pennsylvania, officials in Montgomery County say they are ready to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, reports WFMZ News.

D. Bruce Hanes, the county's register of wills, said he was ready to issue a license to a lesbian couple on Tuesday after the couple contacted him last week, because he wants to be "on the right side of history and the law."

But the couple changed their minds after speaking with the Americans Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, since the organization is currently challenging the state's ban on marriage equality in court. The ACLU informed the couple that their potential marriage might be overturned.

Nevertheless, Hanes says he is prepared to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite the law.

"Had the couple sought the license today, I would have issued it and wished them all the freedom, independence, happiness and rights that our commonwealth's Constitution purports to grant to them," Hanes told WFMZ.