Audio By Carbonatix
Quelling a minor insurrection by the Travis County judiciary, the Texas Supreme Court issued a pair of emergency stays blocking two lower-court rulings that might have allowed same-sex marriage in the state. Tuesday, a Travis County probate judge ruled Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional while splitting up the proceeds of an estate. Thursday morning, a Travis County district judge issued an order that required the Travis County clerk to give Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant a marriage license.
The couple married immediately afterward in a ceremony presided over by a rabbi, but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to void Goodfriend and Bryant’s license, knocking that whole notion of “what therefore God hath joined let no man put asunder” right into the shitter. But that’s a New Testament thing, so presumably Paxton’s still square with his Christian beliefs.
Goodfriend, by the way, has cancer, according to reports. That’s what prompted the judge’s order.
See also: A Same-Sex Couple Just Got Married In Austin (Video)
When news happens, Dallas Observer is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If the Dallas Observer matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
Paxton asked for the Supreme Court stays, arguing that marriage cases currently being decided by other courts should be allowed to run their course without the interference of the Travis County rulings.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott spoke about the rulings in a press release:
“Article 1, Section 32 of the Texas Constitution defines marriage as consisting ‘only of the union of one man and one woman’ and was approved by more than three-quarters of Texas voters. I am committed to ensuring that the Texas Constitution is upheld and that the rule of law is maintained in the State of Texas.”
