I was in a meeting with an attorney today and she mentioned this in passing. I'm glad I'm not in Coeur d'Alene, because I'm a justice of the peace in my state, and I would not perform a same sex "wedding." When I was sworn in for me current term we had "civil unions," and it was widely anticipated that same sex marriage was waiting in the wings. I asked if I would be required to perform same, and the answer was "No."
Now, I'm not so sure. That was almost three years ago, and this is now.
What makes it an interesting conundrum for me is that, in addition to being a justice of the peace, I'm also an ordained minister. It's apparently possible under my state's laws that, if I were approached as a JP, I might have to agree to perform the "wedding" or face sanctions, whereas if I were approached as a clergyman I could defer based on religion. But (according to this attorney, who seems fairly sharp), the fact that I'm both could be used to force me to perform a civil wedding as a JP even though for reasons of faith I would not -- and could not be forced to -- perform the same marriage as a minister.
My term as a JP ends on December 31, 2016. I'm going to have to seriously consider not accepting another term of appointment if I won't be allowed to follow my conscience.
Interesting aside: Several years ago I performed a wedding for a mixed couple. Nope, not black and white. The bride is a Turkish Muslim. The groom is the son of a Jewish mother and a Unitarian Universalist minister father, and the groom himself professes to be an agnostic. But, they were marrying here in the U.S. and they wanted something that would satisfy the bride's parents and family in Turkey that they were "really" married. So guess what they chose as the model for their ceremony?
Give up?
The high Episcopal wedding mass from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.
It actually made for a very nice wedding. They had it caught on video and sent to the family in Turkey, and by all reports the parents were duly satisfied that their daughter wasn't living in sin.