Texas lawmakers vote this week on whether the state should officially defy the Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage. Alabama and Minnesota are debating bills to undermine marriage equality. At least one presidential candidate seems to think that if elected he could veto the Supreme Court. But a new survey shows that Americans are getting tired of these anti-gay shenanigans.
When the Supreme Court rules on marriage this June, everyone in the country will be bound by the decision. Everyone. Even Texas. And yet, this week Texas lawmakers will vote on a bill that would order state employees to defy the anticipated pro-equality ruling from the the Supreme Court.
Just to be clear: this is definitely not allowed. When the Supreme Court says you have to do something, you can’t just pass a “no I don’t” bill, no matter how big your cowboy hat is. But the bad news is that this bill, which is clearly not constitutional, will probably pass. It has a ton of co-authors in the House, plenty of support in the Senate, and Governor Greg Abbott says that marriage equality causes unplanned pregnancies so he’s probably going to sign it.
Eventually, the law will be overturned, but it could take years and millions of dollars. And in the mean time, LGBTs will continue to suffer: denied the equal dignity of marrying the people they love, under a law that should never have been passed in the first place.
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And it’s not just Texas that’s doing this. Last week Alabama debated HB56, which would allow judges to refuse to marry gay couples. And in Minnesota, where marriage has been legal for three years, Republicans are pushing a bill that would poke holes in the state’s nondiscrimination laws, allowing private companies to penalize gay and lesbian couples.
Presidential candidates are jumping on the bandwagon as well. Candidate Ben Carson says that if he was elected president, he’d simply overrule the Supreme Court’s decision. That statement is so completely divorced from how things work that it’s hard to understand what Carson thinks the President even is.
The good news is that most Americans want marriage equality, and they want it from the Supreme Court. A new survey shows that 58 percent of Americans want the LGBT couples bringing suit before the court to win. For now, those politicians passing antigay laws may be popular with their local base. But the more people learn that the bills are unnecessary — and aren’t even legal — the less popular they get.
Roan
Let them do their inane thing. The subsequent federal lawsuits and damage awards will certainly get their attention.
Warwick Palfrey
This has been a long road for our community, and we must keep driving on!
Eric Carr
just to further prove their bigotry.
Willful Defiance
I thought MN already allowed same-sex marriage?
Jason Peil
Why not sue the Republican party for harm. A class action suit by all Texas LGBT people and their families and children for the harm it is causing them. Sue the party for taking the illegal and hateful stance. Sue them as agents provocateurs in an illegal use of the legislature.
Carlos Zuniga
It will not happen, Texas has 4 major cities, more than any state, with a large gay community, you don’t think a huge protest would ensue from that? The republicans in this state need a good slap on the face.
Curty
Not surprised. Goes to show you we still have a lot of enemies be it the general public and politicians who will stop at nothing to continue to demean the gay community by passing outrageous laws just meant for discrimination. We must know who our enemies are and fight discrimination to the fullest. The gop continues to not evolve and follow the evolving of most of america. Smh
Larry Sanders
Wouldn’t expect anything less from the crook sitting in the Governor’s chair.
Brent Scott
Interestingly enough it’s these same idiots who are screaming Obama is violating laws but again, their contradictions come to light! These people are idiots!
Tom Strohecker
Like anyone’s surprised that any backwater southern state filled with ill bred, ill educated, white trash would actually go along with marriage equality?!
They’re going to fight this tooth and nail to the end, it’ll all be based on their antiquated hateful doctrines.
Kevin Braddock
Hasn’t anyone made a connection, back during the late 1800’s democrats did the same thing the Republican Party is doing now. Only now it’s not freedom for slaves it’s denying rights to everyone. The truth is that it’s not so much politics but religious ignorance!! I know plenty of Christians that love unconditionally but there are right wing Christians that support who Republicans, and what do these ring wing Christians want….what they’ve always wanted control and their opinions to be the law. The problem needs to be solved. Find an island and dump these tunnel sighted idiots on it!
MacAdvisor
Though I respect Matt greatly, I doubt the Texas bill will take years to overturn. My guess is its implementation will be halted in Federal court before it ever goes into effect and it will wind up never doing so.
GG
“Candidate Ben Carson says that if he was elected president, he’d simply overrule the Supreme Court’s decision. That statement is so completely divorced from how things work that it’s hard to understand what Carson thinks the President even is.”
Actually, it’s quite easy to understand. Many repubs think of “president” as the title, but the function to be more akin to an omnipotent ruler. This is why it is almost always modern-day repubs that push for expanded presidential powers, such as line-item veto (thereby practically nullifying congress), greater latitude in military matters, using executive orders with unprecedented regularity, and, as shown above, the power to overrule the Supreme Court. So, no – it’s not hard to understand at all.
James Sigmon
Craig Marker
It’s not a matter of if, but when.
Cam
Fine, so they want to do their own version of firing on Fort Sumpter?
Just the south once again showing that they will desperately fight to protect bigotry or race-ism. Nothing new there.
Robert Young
Good luck bitches
Julian Rogers
Their sickness has no limits!!
Robert Christian Show
Texas law makers live in the 1800’s don’t they? If they stand against equal rights- maybe the Federal Government should with hold- cash then. Not enough Tornado’s have hit Texas *yet. oh wait- they will blame it on the “gays” if that happened.
Desert Boy
What happened to secession? Those Hee Haws said they wanted out of the Union and few would disagree. The USA will be much, much better without Texas. Bye, y’all.
Joseph Klein
Remember that silly invasion Texas was worried about ….
Scott Redner
I say we sell Texas to Mexico, and everyone living there has to go too!
Alex Wukman
For anyone with a sense of history this is not surprising. Texas dragged its feet and stalled on civil rights for so long that the US govt had to sue the state in 1970 to force desegregation of the state’s public school system. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/jru02
Mark Wayne
See how long they last will zero federal support..no federal money, no boarder patrol, no banking system …ect.
Matthew Allen Butler
This really breaks my heart that they want to deny myself the right to be with and have protections with the person I love 🙁
Dawson
This is not just about the GLBT community but about all things that are not white and normal. Hispanic’s will soon outnumber whites in Texas. Add to this all other ethnic groups and the numbers are like the electoral college. It is time for all disenfranchised groups to get together and deal with Texas by voting these people out. What should be happening is an a State conference where all groups get together and establish an agenda to get these people out. The answer is the polling booth. Whites in the South still believe this is 1850. You cannot change people who believe that being born white gives them special powers. They get their support from other whites so it is time to look at the numbers. There are more non whites when you add all groups. The same thing should be happening in Arizona. When we start realizing that we have bigger numbers and start using this then things will change.
Lawrence Gisonda
Let the tanks roll in….
Jeffrey York
If the Army wasn’t taking over TX. they will if they don’t abide by the law.
Eric Dietz
Darrin Jones
They need to wake up. Or the gays will cut them off where it counts
Eric Erickson
Then they should go to prison for contempt of court. State officials denying Federal laws are criminals like any other law breaker.
Nik Hua
I have to warn my female friends about the LGBT community causing unplanned pregnancies.
James C Peterson III
Clearly the phrase “everything is bigger in Texas is bigger” doesn’t apply the love for thy neighbor is definitely not bigger
LubbockGayMale
Greg Abbott is a tool, fool and schmuck! Our state capitol in Austin (and other gov’t buildings) weren’t handicapped accessible, until he came along…. then his buddies found the money to spend! Trust me, when Abbott and company figure out they have to obey SCOTUS rulings, they’ll mouth off about seceding, but when they realize how much federal money they’d miss, ‘in all good conscience we cannot support secession’.
Bernard Galeano
Of course they are
Greg Marmai
Sure. But let’s watch them ask for Federal money to help with their current natural disaster.
William Mc Gregor
If they do, I hope they send in troops like they did when segregation in the South ended and force them to comply.
Damon Robbins
Sadly these bigoted legislators will go down kicking and screaming.What they are doing could actually work to our benefit because I’m sure the Supreme Court judges see this in the media and maybe they will realize the the injustice that the LBGT community faces.
Giancarlo85
Where all the fire breathing republican gays on here? Where is that asshole coloradohiker? Nowhere to be found. Again, these dickless shits will kiss up to republicans whenever they can.
And it’s so funny republicans scream about the Constitution, yet piss on it at the same time.
Raymond D Owens
I live in Alabama, so I know Alabama will fight to the end with this. I am sure people are getting tired of all this hate, who doesn’t
Felix Duarte
This is just so…frustrating. And wrong.
Lee Bess Toad
Patrick Laney
Take away federal funding for roads and infrastructure. They will change their tune…
Ridpathos
I hope this all happens before Obama leaves office. Then he can enforce the Supreme Court decision with Executive powers. He’s in the tail end of his last term. He’s not going to take any more crap from the Republicans, and then they’ll be screaming even more about Obama forcing them to do stuff that they don’t like, and their screams will be music to my ears.
jwtraveler
@Nik Hua: But only if we get married. If we don’t, they’re safe.
jwtraveler
@Giancarlo85: You seem to have an obsessive need to insult people who disagree with you, almost a compulsion, I’d say. What’s up with that?
machuffin
Someone should also ask people that, in addition to whether or not they agree with marriage equality, if they agree with these unconstitutional laws that are trying to overrule SCOTUS, and how many people are tired of fighting the tides and are willing to let it go. I know how tired I am of all this back and forth (like, didn’t SCOTUS already decide denying gay marriage was unconstitutional?? It seems like we are fighting the same fight over and over and over again and winning and winning but are still having to fight to win. Like we are stuck in some nightmare where no matter how far and fast we run we never make any progress. And courts and voters are somehow allowing these fringe people to pretend we haven’t already won.)
Giancarlo85
@jwtraveler: Nope. Use your head please. I state the facts. If you don’t like the facts that isn’t my problem. The gay Republicans on here find an article that is convenient for them and they troll everybody with nonsense they can’t back up. They would never post under an article like this one.
no1
I live in Texas. I have been with my partner for 27 years. I personally do not need a piece of paper saying I’m married. However, I understand how some couples would want and need that recognition. I’d be more than happy to sue the state over this, when and if it happens. Does anyone know an attorney that would take the case? I’d love to sue the State and the Republican party.
Mikah
Pathetic homophobic morons.They will fight progress with every bit of their strength.
Mike Ai
#texasproud
Betty Walker
Some ppl are just plain stupid, will America finally realize that gay ppl have the same rights as any other American ? So let them have those rights, ALL of them
Robert Cuthbertson
There is no ignorance and hate greater than that based on religion!
Suzie Walkup
And there have gay people forever and it’s not something new! A good part of my best friends are gay and such nice men!
tjr101
I have relatives that live in Texas and everytime I see them I’m just speechless in conveying how they could possible live in a state governed by religious idiots. A state that elects people like Ted Cruz, its just dumbfounding really.
And where are the gay republicans to explain this away? I guess since the story doesn’t mention Obama or Hillary the gay repubs have nothing to say.
Barry Shatswell
Arrest them
BlogShag
Where are the Dixie Chicks when we need them?
Matthew Perkins
Continue to fight the good fight my brothers and sisters!!! True goodness and love will always win in the end.ð???
Giancarlo85
@tjr101: The gay Republicans are ashamed of their sexuality and attempt to fit in a party that hates them. The clowns say they vote on economic issues lol. What a joke.
By the way… In the cities, Texas does elect people like Julian Castro, but the rest of the state is stuck in the 1950$.