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Category Archives: Texas

Texas AG: Same-Sex Partner Benefits Violate State Constitution

April 30, 2013 – 1:00 pm

From a CBS affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth comes this story:

Local governments and school districts that offer marriage benefits to same-sex partners are violating the state constitution, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott stated in an opinion Monday.

[...] In a six-page opinion, Abbott found that the constitution “prohibits political subdivisions from creating a legal status of domestic partnership and recognizing that status by offering public benefits based upon it.” He said city governments and school districts constitute political subdivisions.

Abbot weighed in on the matter at the request of state Senator Dan Patrick of Houston, who "argued that Texas amended its constitution in 2005 to define marriage as between one man and one woman, while prohibiting government entities from recognizing anything similar to marriage."

Patrick is concerned that Texas law states "cities, counties and school districts cannot subvert the will of Texans" but that this is precisely what is happening in those municipalities and school districts which offer same-sex partner benefits.

You can read the full story here.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Same Sex Marriage, Texas | Comments (46)

NOM's Thomas Peters Quoted in Texan Student Newspaper

November 1, 2012 – 9:00 am

Gary Cecil III includes a few quotes by NOM's Thomas Peters in The Signal (the student newspaper of the University of Houston-Clear Lake):

"...Thirty-two states when given the chance have voted to protect marriage,” said Thomas Peters, cultural director of NOM. “Gay marriage has primarily been pushed with this claim that it is ‘inevitable,’ even though it goes down in defeat time and time again.”

NOM’s pledge also supports appointing federal judges who do not support same-sex marriage and putting the decision to repeal gay marriage in states that have permitted it to a popular vote.

“It’s important to prevent gay marriage because gay unions are not marriages,” Peters said. “The public purpose of marriage is and has always been to unite men and women together, and to unite them to whatever children they may have . . . any child introduced into a same-sex unit is deprived of either his or her mother or father.”"

"...Peters argues gay marriage is really not about benefits anymore and points out even in states that have granted same-sex couples all the legal rights of marriage through civil unions, activists are still attempting to redefine marriage.

“Gay unions are not marriages and however long this fiction may be perpetuated in law, the more harm to society and the next generation will result,” Peters said. “If we erase the idea and if the law treats the idea as akin to bigotry that moms and dads each matter and each contribute something unique to the well-being of children, we have lost a core human truth and society and culture will suffer as a result. Gay people have the right to live as they choose, but they do not have the right to redefine marriage for the rest of us."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Texas, Youth | Comments (1)

This Is About Our Children...

October 27, 2012 – 11:10 am

Dear Marriage Supporter,

With the birth of my 8th child imminent, I am reflecting a lot these days on the hopes and dreams I have for my children.

I hope they are happy and healthy, of course. And I also hope that they grow up to become men and women of strong faith, high ideals and sound principles.

I'm sure Holly Pope has similar hopes and dreams for her son, Dakota. I know she puts a lot of time and effort into teaching her son to be strong and stand up for his faith and his principles.

So you can imagine the empathy I have for Holly when I watch her and her son tell their story: as a high school freshman, Dakota was suspended from school for answering a friend's question about Christianity's teaching on homosexuality!

Click here to watch Dakota's story.

Marriage Supporter, this is the reality we are facing in the fight to defend marriage. Students are getting suspended for standing up for traditional marriage. Bullied. People are getting fired and put on leave from their jobs. Business owners are getting sued. Professional licenses are being revoked. Christian service agencies are being forcibly shut down.

This is not a live-and-let-live proposition. No, this is an all-out assault on our sacred religious and constitutional values . . . and we can't afford to lose!

Please, click here to watch our latest video chronicling the victims of the intolerance of those pushing a same-sex marriage agenda.

And if you can, please make a confidential donation to support our efforts to educate the citizens of our great nation about the consequences of legalizing same-sex marriage. We have a small window to make a dramatic impact for marriage, and thanks to a generous matching grant, every dollar raised between now and Election Day will be tripled! Please make a generous gift today!

By Brian Brown | Posted in MarriageADA, Same Sex Marriage, Texas | Comments (6)

Video: Rick Perry Explains Why He Stands Strong for Marriage

July 10, 2012 – 12:00 pm

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is asked about marriage and why he hasn't changed his views on it:

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Free Speech, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Texas | Comments (42)

ADF Video: Hundreds Of Christians Face Jail Time In El Paso

April 1, 2012 – 9:00 am

As this Alliance Defense Fund video explains, "Hundreds of Christians and other El Paso citizens are facing jail time for exercising their constitutionally protected right to speak out against Mayor John Cook's policies":

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Religious Liberty, Texas | Comments (5)

Hundreds of El Paso Christians Face Jail Time for Opposing Pro-Gay Legislation

March 13, 2012 – 1:00 pm

CitizenLink:

Approximately 250 Christians affiliated with various ministries in El Paso, Texas, have asked the state Supreme Court to step in immediately to prevent them from being sent to jail.

Their crime? Circulating petitions seeking the recall of Mayor John Cook and two city council members in 2010.

That year, El Paso residents passed a ballot initiative banning unmarried domestic-partner benefits. But the city council — with the mayor’s approval — voted to rescind the ordinance, prompting the recall election.

But last month, a state appeals court halted the recall and decertified the petition signatures. Immediately afterward, the city’s district attorney subpoenaed the petitions and assembled a grand jury to look into having the petition organizers prosecuted criminally. According to Texas election law, churches can’t circulate petitions; the constitutionality of that law is currently the subject of a separate federal lawsuit.

“We have more than 250 signed affidavits from local citizens there in El Paso who are terrified that they may go to jail simply for engaging in legitimate political and free speech efforts,” said Alliance Defense Fund attorney Joel Oster. “This is the United States of America, and the mayor can’t be allowed to put his opponents in jail just because he doesn’t like that they participated in a valid effort that he doesn’t favor.”

Bob Unruh has more background on this story.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Religious Liberty, Texas | Comments (17)

Video: Gay Judge Admits to Refusing to Perform Marriages for Straight Couples

February 24, 2012 – 4:00 pm

New York Daily News:

An openly gay Texas judge says she refuses to conduct marriage ceremonies for straight couples until same-sex couples can also wed.

Dallas County Judge Tonya Parker explained her decision Tuesday at a monthly meeting for the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas.

“I do not perform them because it is not an equal application of the law. Period,” she said, according to the Dallas Voice, a newspaper for the gay community.

Parker told the audience that while she refuses to conduct the ceremonies, she explains her reasoning to the couples and passes them along to another judge.

“I use it as my opportunity to give them a lesson about marriage equality in the state because I feel like I have to tell them why I’m turning them away,” she said.

... "it’s kind of oxymoronic for me to perform ceremonies that can’t be performed for me, so I’m not going to do it,” she added.

Same-sex marriage is not legal in Texas.

Here is some local TV coverage of the comments she made:

You can watch a more complete video of Judge Parker's comments here.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, MarriageADA, Same Sex Marriage, Texas | Comments (72)

Texas Democrats Decide Not to Place Non-Binding Resolution on Gay Marriage on Primary Ballot

November 29, 2011 – 2:00 pm

The Dallas Voice:

Democrats in Texas won’t get to vote next year on whether they support same-sex marriage, after the party’s Executive Committee shot down a proposal to place a non-binding resolution on the March 2012 primary ballot.

Meeting in the capital on Saturday, Nov. 19, the State Democratic Executive Committee voted 33-22 against placing the resolution in support of same-sex marriage on the ballot, according to Dan Graney, president of the party’s LGBT caucus.

... some SDEC members feared backlash from the marriage resolution and said it could be used against Democratic candidates by their Republican opponents, Graney said.