Larry Keller, the Republican mayor of gay-friendly resort town New
Hope, Pennsylvania, says his decision to refuse to marry a gay couple
left him “heartbroken.”
According to The
Philadelphia
Inquirer, Keller last week declined to officiate at a wedding
for a male gay couple.
The couple obtained their marriage license in Montgomery County,
which began issuing licenses to gay and lesbian couples last month in
defiance of a state ban. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has sued
the county to block it from issuing additional licenses.
In reacting to a public outcry over his decision, Keller
reiterated his support for gay nuptials, a point he made in a letter
to Corbett.
“As a fellow Republican, I am writing to share my views on
same-sex marriage in a time where I fear the laws of our state are
out of touch with what is right and just,” Keller, who is up for
re-election, wrote. “While I will obey the laws of our land as
mayor of New Hope Borough, I hope in the near future this law will
change so I can obey the law and do what is right in my heart.”
He went on to describe his decision to decline the couple's
request as “heartbreaking.”