OLYMPIA, Wash. — A Thurston County, Wash., Superior Court judge has been formally admonished for saying he wouldn’t preside at same-sex weddings.
Judge Gary Tabor first made the comments during an administrative meeting shortly before Washington’s marriage equality law took effect late last year.
![Gary Tabor](https://lgbtqnation-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/2013/10/Gary-Tabor.jpg)
He told colleagues he wasn’t comfortable performing same-sex weddings and asked if other judges would do it in his stead.
His comments were leaked to the press, and Tabor reiterated his position in interviews, saying it was a personal religious objection and not an official stance of the court.
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The state’s Judicial Conduct Commission noted that judges aren’t obligated to perform any weddings, but if they do, they can’t discriminate against same-sex couples because Washington law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The commission noted that at the time, Tabor did perform opposite-sex weddings.
The commission issued the admonishment Friday as part of a stipulation with Tabor. An admonishment is essentially a warning.
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