Texas Takes Up Anti-Gay Amendment
by April Castro, Associated Press

Posted: November 9, 200412:01 am ET




(Austin, Texas) Calling it a biblical issue, a state lawmaker on Monday proposed an amendment to the Texas Constitution that would ban the state from recognizing gay marriage.

Rep. Warren Chisum said he hoped the amendment would send a message to Congress that Texans support a similar amendment on the federal level.

"We really feel very strong about the fact that we don't want the deterioration of the institution of marriage and that's what we see happening across this country," he said.

The Pampa Republican filed the resolution on Monday, the first day of bill filing for the upcoming legislative session, which begins in January.

Gay and lesbian activists called Chisum's bill an "affront to the ideals of fairness, tolerance and equality."

"Marriage is the foundation, the building block of strong families and we feel it's unfair and doesn't even make sense to deny this to the (gay and lesbian) community," said Heath Riddles, development director for the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas.

Texas already has a law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but putting the definition in the state constitution, Chisum said, would prevent any court decision from overriding the law.

Nationally, President Bush supports a measure being pushed by conservative advocacy groups for congressional approval of a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Such a measure, which would then need ratification by 38 states, failed to win the necessary two-thirds support in the House and Senate earlier this year.

"We're a bit concerned about some of the big cities' acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle," Chisum said. "There's been a big push in the homosexual community to get into the marriage issue."

Riddles said the proposal "weaves this discriminatory attitude a little more deeply into the law here in Texas. It's one more layer of discrimination and one more way (the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community is singled out and discriminated against by the Legislature."

The LGRL estimates about 43,000 same-sex households in Texas.

Changing the state constitution would require the approval of two-thirds of each chamber of the Legislature, as well as a ballot vote by Texans.

©Associated Press 2004

I have been married twice, for a total of 16 years. Gay marriage did not break up my first relationship, nor does it threaten the sanctity of my present marriage. I can't figure out how it threatens anyone's.

He dares to call it a "lifestyle" because gays have been calling it a lifestyle since the beginning of the movement. If we want them to stop. We need to call it what it is. It's how God made us or how we came biologically pre-determined. We gave them the ammo. Why are you surprise to see them use it against us.

Is anyone really surprised? Frankly, as long as the proposed amendment just limits marriage to a man and a woman (and doesn't tack on a bunch of other stuff), there is no need for us to even waste our time and energy fighting it. It will pass overwhelmingly, and it doesn't really do any harm.

No Texas court would overrule state law on the issue anyway. Hell, the TX courts would never even throw out 21.06, which was their mistake. It got us Lawrence v. Texas

Sorry, it is a slippery slope to even start such amendments - when we couldn't get the ERA passed - basically - the injustice that has plagued those "man-woman" marriages have permission to continue. The Bill of Rights as I know is - is dead. Adding amendments will not prop up the body.
However, the second amendment - or the misinterpretation of it that passes for "gun rights" - well everyone should be comfortable to know that it is at least safe from the fascists for now.

As far as I know biblical issues are not the domain of the state/legislation in a country that does not have an official/established religion.