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11/09/2005


Texans Ban Gay Marriage

Texas has banned gay marriage, becoming the 18th state to adopt an anti-gay marriage constitutional provision.

Texans for Marriage leader Kelly Shackelford: "Texans know that marriage is between a man and a woman, and children deserve both a mom and a dad. They don't need a Ph.D. or a degree in anything else to teach them that."

Houston Chronicle: "Seventy-six percent of voters favored the amendment and 24 percent opposed it, with 94 percent of the vote counted...Turnout reached 17 percent statewide, higher than the 12 percent in 2003 when a controversial amendment limiting lawsuit damages was on the ballot...In Harris County (Houston), turnout was about 14 percent with 70 percent of precincts reporting, though two Montrose-area precincts with substantial gay and lesbian populations reported turnouts of around 35 percent.

If every gay man and lesbian had voted yesterday (a pipe dream, of course), the amendment would have failed. Apathy lost the vote, as often happens. (thanks David)

Spencer Windes on the ugly reality of "Lifeboat Syndrome" which allows minority groups and the KKK to come together and agree to kick the next man down on the ladder...

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Posted 12:32 PM EST by Andy in Gay Marriage | Permalink

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  1. (snark)But going out and getting fucked up is more important than voting, don't you know that?(/snark)

    Christ, if they had the voting polls at the bars you'd easily have 100% turnout.

    Then again, you have a lot of gays voting for Republicans so it could have just as easily failed.

    Posted by: Tread | Nov 9, 2005 12:52:02 PM


  2. Let's at least give a little cheer for Austin: Travis County was the only county (as far as I could tell from looking at the vote tallies) that voted against the ban.

    No wonder Tom DeLay doesn't want to be tried there.

    Posted by: Glenn | Nov 9, 2005 1:20:30 PM


  3. Not just gays but people in general tend to not vote unless they feel it somehow affects them personally. And even then - there is a general lazy sense that 'it doesn't matter.' Why? Because it's in the corporate interest for it/us not to? Bollocks. Next, Texas will let you fire someone for simply being gay. Ohio will let sheriff's departments raid the bars/clubs and arrest you for 'lewd conduct.'

    America continues to sleep while Baghdad, Paris and the Constitution burn....

    Posted by: Linear | Nov 9, 2005 1:21:19 PM


  4. Yeah, three cheers for Austin. I was rallying up all the people I knew to go out and vote. I asked one of my teachers if she voted and she makes a comment like "Yes! I did. Nice to remember Austin will swing one way when the rest of Texas will swing the other way."

    Unfortunately I was turned away from the polls because I registered in Travis county 3 days late...

    How wonderful...

    Posted by: Damon | Nov 9, 2005 1:25:03 PM


  5. I got news for you, Linear: Texas already allows you to fire someone for being gay. Just like about 33 other states (I may be off by one or two) and the federal government do.

    Posted by: Glenn | Nov 9, 2005 2:44:38 PM


  6. Another reason why I have eno intention of moving back to the states especially Texas. Lived there for 25 years during the time that it was still illegal to sleep with my boyfriend (2106 law)

    Posted by: TJ | Nov 9, 2005 2:53:55 PM


  7. FOLKS ARE DUMB WHERE I COME FROM, THEY AIN'T HAD ANY LEARNIN'...
    Annie, DO get your gun! Dorothy and Herby Fields would have taken this and so RAN with it!

    "Texans know that marriage is between a man and a woman, and children deserve both a mom and a dad. They don't need a Ph.D. or a degree in anything else to teach them that."

    So many new verses come to mind...

    Posted by: basblu | Nov 9, 2005 3:42:10 PM


  8. You actually can't be fired from federal employment because of homosexuality. Norton v. Macy, 417 F.2d 1161 (D.C. Cir. 1969). Of course, whether Scott Bloch's Office of Special Counsel would enforce it is another matter.

    Posted by: Neil Morse | Nov 9, 2005 4:38:08 PM


  9. Like my friend told me last night, "its all politics, not gonna prevent me from being with someone I love." It would be nice to have that marriage certificate, but I guess you can't have it all. We should still keep the good fight going and hopefully the next generation will fix this mistake in the future.

    Posted by: christian | Nov 9, 2005 5:39:09 PM


  10. ***If every gay man and lesbian had voted yesterday (a pipe dream, of course), the amendment would have failed. Apathy lost the vote, as often happens. (thanks David)***

    and y'ar blanche y'ar -- is it a predisposition to replaying scenes from various melodramatic acts that curtail moments of involvement??

    Posted by: richard | Nov 9, 2005 6:04:15 PM


  11. Neil, I was actually referring to the fact that there's no federal prohibition on private employment discrimination -- i.e., sexual orientation isn't in Title VII. You're right about federal employment, although as you allude, the security of that position under this administration is somewhat in doubt.

    Posted by: Glenn | Nov 9, 2005 6:05:42 PM


  12. Two things:

    First, Texas is a "at will" work state, which means an employer can fire any employee for just about any reason. Now, if they fired someone for being gay they could be sued, but that doesn't stop them for making up a more legitimate reason and firing them anyway...and this happens every day.

    Second, I was appalled when I showed up to vote on Tuesday because my poll location had changed. It's now being held in a CHURCH! I nearly choked when I pulled into the parking lot! To make matters worse, the church was holding a "prayer vigil" in the chapel to rid the world of "the homosexual plague". So while I'm standing in line to vote against banning gay marriage, the church members are singing and praying (loudly mind you) that all gays would die. I immediately called my precinct judge and was told "well, it's their church and they have a right to do what they want as long as they don't do it in the voting line or in the room where the voting machines are located." He closed with this wonderful line "you do realize that you live in Texas don't you??" I could have screamed!

    Am I off base here? Is a church a proper place to hold elections? Not in my book...

    Posted by: Wayne | Nov 10, 2005 1:49:33 PM


  13. Check out my URL for an interesting question on the gay marriage issue.

    Posted by: Kelly | Nov 11, 2005 10:34:32 AM


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