UPDATE: Judge James DePiazza Has Stopped Being An Asshat

I won’t take all the credit, but maybe, just maybe, making the ISBL Asshat of the Week sparked a change down in Texas.

Last week I posted about Denton County Judge James DePiazza and his disdain for marrying same-sex couples and his idea that the couples had to sign a waiver saying they acknowledge that the judge doesn’t want to marry them before he performs the ceremony—see post HERE.

Well, faster than you can say Denton County Judge James DePiazza is an Asshat, his online forms for prospective couples have been edited, reworded, or even deleted.

His old form said this:

“Judge DePiazza prefers to NOT conduct same-sex ceremonies, but will not decline anyone who chooses to schedule with him.”

His new form says this:

“Judge DePiazza requires the same paperwork and conducts the same ceremony for all couples.”

His old form said this:

“While we may not necessarily agree with, we acknowledge Judge DePiazza’s position that he prefers to not conduct same-sex marriages and agree to not address the topic of same-sex marriages with Judge DePiazza before, during or after the ceremony.”

His new form says this:

“We acknowledge that this time is reserved for our ceremony only and not for conducting any other business.”

Judge DePiazza isn’t talking about the changes, but it’s clear that someone, somewhere, perhaps ISBL, perhaps not, gave him a little smackdown because all sections of the online forms for couples seeking to be married by this judge that declare his aversion to performing same-sex weddings, have been removed.

I like to think being called an Asshat had something to do with it.

NCRM

ISBL Asshat of the Week: Judge James DePiazza

When Carlos and I got married last year, we had many communications with the courthouse out in Washington before heading out there to tie the knot. But it was all so easy, everyone was so nice, and even the judge who presided over our ceremony — Judge Leon Henley — was polite and professional; he asked if we wanted to be referred to as ‘husband-and-husband’ or ‘spouse-and-spouse’ during the ceremony, and even stayed after to take pictures with us.

It was nice … and makes me feel so lucky that we didn’t choose to get married in Denton County, Texas where a justice of the peace is all pissy about that darned marriage equality ruling and has sunk to a new low in response.

Judge James DePiazza has performed more than 2,000 wedding ceremonies but before he does any more, the couples seeking to wed will be required to sign an agreement that he revised since that Supreme Court ruling.

The old agreement congratulated the couples on their upcoming wedding, and laid out guidelines on punctuality, fees, marriage license requirements, and had places for the bride and groom to sign. But Judge DePiazza’s new form, which was posted to the court’s website, highlights DePiazza’s position on same-sex marriage, saying he prefers to "NOT conduct same-sex ceremonies, but will not decline anyone who chooses to schedule with him." The website also offers a disclaimer of sort:

"While we many [sic] not necessarily agree with, we accept Judge DePiazza's position on same-sex marriages, accept the conditions expressed above and understand that there will be no discussion regarding his position before, during or after the ceremony."

So, you either sign an agreement saying  you accept this asshat’s limited world-view or else he will not perform the ceremony. And, on top of that, the new forms removes the congratulations — cuz why congratulate a same-sex couple on their marriage — and now photography during the ceremony, though you can stick around afterwards and take a few pictures … once the judge is gone.

The new form also replaces "bride" and "groom" with two signature spots and states ceremonies will not be confirmed unless the acknowledgment is turned into the office, along with the $100 cash fee.

When news of these new forms was revealed, Judge DePiazza actually told the local news outlet that every human being deserves dignity and respect, whether he agrees with them or not:

"It's my personal belief that individuals who want to conduct a marriage ceremony understand my convictions. If it was me, I would prefer to have someone who was in agreement with me."

Oh, and Judge DePiazza is a Republican, and an elected official, chosen to serve everyone in the county, but he just wants to make it clear that if you’re gay he doesn’t really want to marry you until you understand and acknowledge that he thinks your marriage is some sort of abomination.

And that’s why Judge James DePiazza is the ISBL Asshat of the Week.

WFAA