Texas Gets Things Wrong on Marriage
Texas lawmakers are gunning for the judge who let two lesbians to get married. Meanwhile, homophobic lawmakers celebrate the 10th anniversary of the state’s marriage ban. There’s just one problem — the law will probably be overturned before it actually turns ten. Plus various native American tribes are in the process of legalizing marriage.

Two weeks ago a judge in Texas ruled that a lesbian couple facing a terminal illness could marry right away. And now State Rep Tony Tinderholt, who is by the way on his fifth marriage, wants that judge disciplined. Here’s his complaint — this is actually it, hand written on a worksheet.

Tinderholt’s complaint is that the judge failed to notify the Attorney General, when in fact he actually did send notification. Not to mention, the complaint is based on a law that applies to final judgements, and this ruling was an injunction. And finally, Tinderholt sent it to the wrong judge.

Also last week some Texas lawmakers marked the 10th anniversary of the state’s marriage ban. But it looks like they may have marked their calendars a little early. The actual 10th anniversary is in November. And depending on how the Supreme Court rules, the ban may not be around by then. So they actually might have been celebrating the ban’s final few months of life.

Two senators in Iowa have proposed constitutional amendments to ban marriage equality, Also, this proposal has zero chance of attracting enough support to pass. Like Tinderholt’s complaint in Texas, this is a final desperate, doomed act.

There’s some good news this week from tribal nations. The Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska have unanimously voted to approve marriage equality. And the Navajo Nation is headed for a presidential election in April in which all candidates support the freedom to marry.

www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-baume/texas-gets-things-wrong-o_b_6781538.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Nebraska Stops Enforcing Ban on Gay Foster Parents

Although the 20-year-old policy is still on the books, state officials will no longer consider a foster parent’s sexual orientation when deciding to place a ward of the state with a family.

read more

Sunnivie Brydum

www.advocate.com/families/2015/03/01/nebraska-stops-enforcing-ban-gay-foster-parents