It’s already happened: a Montana man has officially applied for a marriage license–for his second wife.
Yes, he’s still married to the first wife.
Nathan Collier of Billings, Montana, claims that the Supreme Court’s decision last week inspired him to seek a marriage license for his second wife–to see how accepting of polygamous marriages America actually is.
Collier married his first wife, Victoria, in 2000. He remains married to her–but “married” his second wife, Christine, in 2007. That marriage was conducted in a church but, obviously, is not legal in the eyes of the law, which does grant marriage licenses to polygamy.
Collier’s initial request for a second marriage license was rejected–but Collier argued. Officials at the Yellowstone County Courthouse, upon hearing his threats, told him they’d have to consult with the county attorney before they could reject or deny
If Collier’s request isn’t granted, he has already threatened to sue the state of Montana, urging that his marriages should be recognized under the law.
But his request isn’t as crazy as it may seem–from a legal standpoint, anyway.
In fact, even the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, warned in his dissent in Obergefell v. Hughes (the gay marriage decision) that this kind of thing was coming:
“Much of the majority’s reasoning would apply with equal force to the claim of a fundamental right to plural marriage,” Roberts claimed.
The biggest problem–one unforeseen by the Left, who advocates both for feminism and gay marriage–is that the same logic can be used to justify gay marriage and polygamy.
If any American can marry whoever they want, and have the full blessing of the U.S. Government, what stops a man from marrying two women–assuming they’re adults that consent to the marriage?
According to the Supreme Court’s decision? Not much.
