Texas Senate bans gay marriage

Yesterday the Texas Senate voted to constitutionally ban gay marriage by a vote of 21-9. The bill (HJR 6) was sponsored by Republican Todd Staples who commented that, "We should protect the institution of marriage as it is defined in law today. We should hold that higher up than any other relationship.", he also makes the point that "Polygamy is against the law" with the intention to lead us to believe that his law prevents polygamy and implies that homosexuality equals polygamy.

Domestic partnerships and civil unions could be interpreted as being illegal in addition to same sex marriage, the bill dclares. The voters will decide to approve or disapprove the constitutional ammendment this November.

Senate Democrats response:

"We're going to carve out a class of individuals and say you cannot share those benefits," - Eliot Shapleigh (D)

"At least they [Jim Crowe advocates] had the good sense to never write their bigotry into the state constitution. In some of our sister states, they did write that trash into their constitution, and they've had holy hell getting it out."- Rodney Ellis (D)


The no voters were: one senator was absent

1. Gonzalo Barrientos (D)
2. Rodney Ellis (D)
   
3. Mario Gallegos Jr. (D)
   
4. Juan Hinojosa (D)
   
5. Eliot Shapleigh (D)
   
6. Leticia Van de Putte (D)
   
7. Royce West (D)
8. John Whitmire (D)
9. Judith Zaffirini (D)
   

The Democrats used some unusual tactics to get this bill to fail. Several unreasonable amendments were added by Democrats in the hopes that it would fail completely such as:

• Amendment no 7- "This state may not recognize a marriage if either party to the marriage has previously been married three or more times in this state or in another jurisdiction."
  
• Amendment no 8- "A union in this state, of one man and one woman, must include some sexual intercourse." I like this idea personally!!