Supreme Court Will Not Stop Alabama Marriages on Monday

Though some conservative state officials are prepared to refuse issuing licenses

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

February 07 2015 6:36 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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The Supreme Court ignored the request of Roy Moore (pictured), the arch-conservative Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice, to stay a federal court ruling overturning the state's marriage equality ban.

With the high court not responding to Moore's request, that should mean same-sex couples could begin marrying on Monday, but things are more complicated in Alabama, where officials are demonstrating staunch resistance to marriage equality.

Moore has called the pro-equality rulings of a U.S. District court judge "tyranny" and told Alabama's probate judges they could still refuse to issue licenses to same-sex couples even if the Supreme Court lifted a stay on the lower court's rulings. Moore's proclamations have prompted the Southern Poverty Law Center to file ethics charges against him and the Human Rights Campaign calling for his termination.

One probate judge, Wes Allen, has vowed to stop issuing all marriage licenses in his county so he can avoid marrying same-sex couples. Developing...