Louisville gay minister, partner released from jail after protesting denied marriage license

A Louisville gay minister and his partner have been released on their own recognizance Wednesday after they were arrested on trespassing charges for refusing to leave the Jefferson County Clerk’s office when they were denied a marriage license. The Rev. Maurice “Bojangles” Blanchard and Dominique James were held for about six hours before they were freed at 12:12 a.m. today. He and Dominique James were charged with criminal trespassing in the third degree, a violation punishable by a fine of up to $250. They are scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Jefferson District Court, according to court records. Blanchard said Wednesday that he and James accomplished their goals. “I think we brought attention to how discriminatory the law is, and the gay community has rallied around us,” he said. “I wanted them to see a faith leader standing up for them.”