Ledyard Town Clerk Rose Marie Belforti, who gained national attention for refusing to issue a same-sex marriage license, told a crowded room of college students and community members Wednesday night that she was not going to back down from her beliefs.
“This is who I am and I can’t do it,” Belforti, a Republican, said during the question and answer presentation hosted by Wells College in Aurora.
... Ed Easter, a Republican from the village of Aurora, disagreed with Belforti’s refusal to sign same-sex marriage licenses. He said he believes Belforti should follow the law or leave her position. He is running a write-in campaign against Belforti, who is seeking her sixth term in November’s election.
... [Belforti] said she is not preventing any same-sex couple from receiving a marriage license in the town.
“I’ve been battered over this in the media, over my emails and I can’t answer my phone anymore and everyone thinks I’m a bigot,” she said.
Belforti said most of the negative attention has come from outside the town. Several community members came to the forum to support Belforti.
Here is a short video of the panel:
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