A candidate in Montgomery County came out swinging against marriage equality last week in a race that deserves the LGBT community’s attention.
Sharon Valentine Thomas, the mayor of Pottstown, is running for Montgomery County Register of Wills. A quick Internet search for Thomas brought up little in the way of actual campaigning — which doesn’t bode well for her bid — but did produce a Facebook page chock full of religious postulating. And that’s the spirit Thomas wants to bring to the office.
One of the primary functions of the register of wills is overseeing the issuing of marriage licenses, but Thomas told a newspaper last week that, if elected, she would refuse to issue licenses to same-sex couples. Thomas is evidently trying to model herself after Kim Davis, the antigay Kentucky clerk who took her (repeatedly losing) campaign to halt the issuing of same-sex marriage licenses to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Thomas’ pledge rightfully drew a fair amount of outcry. Candidates typically spend the days leading up to an election talking about all they plan to do in office; Thomas, however, used the opportunity to address how she would seek to shirk her responsibility.
Her position is made all the more outrageous when you consider her opponent, incumbent Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes. Hanes made history in 2013 when he began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, nearly a year before a federal court ruling brought marriage equality to Pennsylvania. Hanes was steadfast in his commitment to the notion that denying licenses to same-sex couples was unconstitutional and only halted the practice when ordered to do so by a judge.
The leadership we’ve seen from Hanes, and the way Thomas pledged she would run the office, couldn’t be more different. Hanes said he was moved to issue the licenses because of his oath to uphold the Constitution. Thomas said she would be moved to deny licenses because of her personal beliefs.
Thomas may need a refresher in Civics 101 (with an emphasis on that pesky notion of “separation of church and state”). When you become a public official, your conduct is supposed to be guided by the governing laws and policies, not one’s personal views. If elected officials have animus toward people of color, should they be permitted to deny marriage licenses to interracial couples? Or should those whose religious beliefs dictate marriage is solely for procreation be allowed to deny licenses to octogenarians?
Thomas (hopefully) would acknowledge the issue with the above examples, but her refusal to see the problem with her own position illustrates that it’s born of homophobia — and that she thinks homophobia is still justifiable.
On Nov. 3, the LGBT community and its allies in Montgomery County need to send a resounding message to Thomas — and any other candidates who want to emulate her misguided mission — that they will not tolerate intolerance from elected officials.