PITTSBURGH — Earlier this year, Daniel Shaner became an ordained minister to officiate the wedding of his stepdaughter.
“I love her so much,” Shaner said. “I wanted to be a part of her special day, and I was thrilled she asked me to be involved.”
Now, Shaner is offering his services for free to same-sex couples as national concerns grow over the future of marriage equality.
“My marriage has been the single greatest part of my life,” he said. “And if I care about other people, I would want them to be as happy as I am.”
Just this week, the U.S. Supreme Court was formally asked to hear a case that could challenge the nationwide right to same-sex marriage. The case stems from former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, who was jailed in 2015 for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, citing her religious beliefs.
So far in 2025, at least nine states have introduced legislation to block or limit marriage licenses for LGBTQ+ people. Pennsylvania is not among them.
“Even if the Kim Davis case gets to the Supreme Court and the decision gets overturned, we have Gov. Josh Shapiro,” Shaner said. “He’s going to veto anything like that, and the Senate and Republicans don’t have enough votes to override the governor.”
Still, the legal uncertainty is prompting some same-sex couples to move quickly with their wedding plans, and Shaner is ready to help.
“It’s simple,” he said. “If I remain silent, I’m helping those who would hurt other people’s rights.”
To connect with Daniel Shaner or others offering free officiant services for LGBTQ+ couples in the area, you can look him up on Facebook.
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