The Houston Family Law Blog


More Cities Recognizing Gay Marriage

| No TrackBacks

Two new cities will start recognizing gay marriage this week; which could soon put pressure on the state of Texas to lift its current gay marriage ban.

Gay couples in the District of Columbia and Mexico City can finally get their marriage licenses, according to On Top Magazine. Yet even with the approval of gay marriage in these regions, there is still opposition. In Washington D.C, the U.S Congress has the final say on measures that are approved by the DC Council. Senator Bob Bennett and Representative Jason Chaffet, both from Utah, tried to introduce measures to overturn the gay marriage law, but their efforts have so far failed.

The city of Houston has surprisingly one of the largest gay communities in the country, according to the non-profit organization Pride Houston. The organization works to increase awareness about equality in the city of Houston and around the country. Yet the state of Texas has a constitutional ban on gay marriages; thanks to a voter approved state constitutional amendment that passed in 2005. According to All Headline News, there are only five states that currently allow gay individuals to get married: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

The state of Maine used to allow marriage between same-sex couples, but the state overturned its law through a referendum last November. The state of California has a similar story, but there is a landmark trial going on to challenge the constitutionality of the state's ban on gay marriage. The case seeks to determine whether the ban on gay marriages was "passed with discriminatory intent."

Related Resources:

  • Gay Marriage Legislation (LawBrain)
  • The DC Same Sex Marriage Bill Is Approved (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life blog)
  • Gay and Lesbian Adoption and Parenting (FindLaw)
  • Texas Family Law Attorneys Directory (FindLaw)

No TrackBacks

TrackBack URL: http://houstonfamilyattorneysblog.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/9730