Erin Lowrey, MS News Now
October 1, 2014
JACKSON, MS (WDAM) -
A transgender couple was legally married in Mississippi on September 18, which caused controversy around the state.
Nick Fulgham and Jessica Elliot married on September 18 at the Madison County Courthouse. Nick, who was originally a female named Natalie, began his transition from female to male in 2010. He was legally declared a male in Starkville, Mississippi on July 11, 2014.
According to Dale Thompson, Circuit Court Clerk for Desoto County, Nick and Jessica both showed valid ID in compliance with state statute. Thompson said she was given both a valid male's and female's identification. According to Thompson, she issued the couple a valid, legal marriage license.
The couple's marriage sparked controversy with the American Family Association. In an article posted on
afa.net, the couple was accused of committing "biological fraud."
According to the AFA article,"Two lesbians getting married could not possibly be more illegal and unconstitutional anywhere in the United States than in Mississippi."
However, according to Shawn Lowrey, an attorney for the Erik M. Lowrey law firm in Hattiesburg, the couple has not committed a criminal act.
"Somewhere, somebody allowed them to change a birth certificate or license legally," said Lowrey. "There is no constitutional amendment or law in Mississippi that doesn't allow them to do that."
More:
http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/26680789/transgender-couple-legally-marries-in-mississippi