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Texas governor signs defense of marriage act
(Advocate) Same-sex marriages cannot be recognized in Texas under legislation that Gov. Rick Perry signed Tuesday. With the new law, labeled the Defense of Marriage Act by its supporters, Texas will be prevented from legally recognizing same-sex unions that are formed in other states, including civil unions. Texas law already prohibits recognition of same-sex marriage. Perry signed the measure in a private meeting in his Capitol office with backers of the bill.
"Like the vast majority of Texans, I believe that marriage represents a sacred union between a man and a woman," Perry said in a prepared statement afterward. "With passage of the Defense of Marriage Act, Texas now joins more than 30 states in reinforcing that basic belief." The bill was authored by Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) and sponsored by Rep. Warren Chisum (R-Pampa). The Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas fought against the law, saying it represents an agenda of intolerance and oppression.
[It's always sad when those in power feel such a need to demonstrate their ignorance and homophobia by passing laws that condemn gay people. But the reality is that this law changes nothing. Texas already bans gay marriage and the federal DOMA law says that no state can be forced to recognize gay marriage. In a way it shows how far we have come that the bigots and homophobes must push for these laws in an attempt to stop gay rights. But the real victory will come when (if) the supreme court does the only intelligent, logical, and moral thing by striking down the Texas sodomy law, which will simultaneously nullify other state sodomy laws. That is if they don't bend over backwards to find some justification for discriminatory and unconstitutional sodomy laws. I do believe that someday these DOMA laws will be repealed or abolished and there will be legal gay marriage. It will take time and a hard fight and none of us should sit on the sidelines, but I do believe it will happen someday if we can organize ourselves and continue to educate people. The truth is on our side.]