February 20, 2015 6:47 AM

Ever so slowly, Texas is being dragged into the 21st century

How pissed are dinosaur conservative bigots that the 2 people in the most famous married relationship in Austin right now are both highly successful women who have been in a committed relationship for almost 31 years, one of whom is in treatment for cancer, and are the parents of two lovely children? The optics of them fighting against this happy, and legal, union and trying to spoil this happiness are absolutely horrible for them. Cry me a freakin’ river - your grandchildren will some day make fun of you when they hear of your opposition.

Yes, I can almost hear the bigots and haters bleating and caterwauling from here in Portland. No one would accuse the Lone Star State of rushing headlong into a future where equality is the rule. Indeed, many Texans are perfectly OK with the idea of being on the wrong side of history. They don’t believe their God would countenance gay marriage and so that’s just how it should be.

The interesting thing is that if you go back 50 years or so, some very similar arguments were being used to oppose equality for African-Americans. In the harsh light of history, those who worked to perpetuate that discrimination look pretty silly now. It’s hard not to apply that precedent to the haters and bigots who would deny the LGBT community the right to marry. With more than 70% of Americans now living in state where marriage equality is the law, it’s becoming increasingly clear that history is not on the side of bigotry and homophobia…not that it will keep the haters from kicking and screaming in righteous indignation until the bitter end.

All Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant wanted was for the state of Texas to legally recognize the legitimacy of the 31-year relationship. They’re not looking to recruit children or impose the Homosexual Agenda upon good, God-fearing Christian patriots (or anyone else); they just want to be able to enjoy the same benefits married heterosexual couples accept as their due.

After the Texas Supreme Court issued a stay preventing other gay marriages, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wasted no time and said the women’s marriage license won’t stick and is void.

Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church in Dallas said, “While I believe that certainly all gays have the same constitutional rights as heterosexuals, our country has never recognized marriage as a constitutional right. If so, anybody can get married.”

Dallas family law attorney Michelle O’Neil says Thursday’s events are unheard of in Texas. “We’re here in absolutely unchartered territory here in Texas on these things.”

To Jeffress’ claim that if same-sex marriage is legalized, “anybody can get married,” I’d say, “EXACTLY!!” And why shouldn’t anybody be able to get married? Why shouldn’t the state of Texas be embracing the stability that long-term committed relationships lend to society? What is so wrong with the idea of two people loving one another enough that they’d want to make a lifetime commitment in the eyes of the State? Marriage is not just about raising children; if that was the case, then people like me who’ve made a conscious decision not to have children would be ineligible.

It’s just a matter of time before Texas is forced to legalize marriage. Someday, haters/”Christians” like Jeffress will recognized as the bigots and homophobes they are. History will regard them with the same level of disdain applied to racists like Bull Connor and George Wallace. And people will wonder what all the fuss was about.

Someday, people like Goodfriend and Bryant, who just happen to be gay, will decide to marry…and their relationship will be celebrated as the wonderful, beautiful thing it is. Even in Texas. Because NO ONE- whatever their ignorance, hatred, and prejudice- has the right to take away the rights of others.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on February 20, 2015 6:47 AM.

Primatology 101: The GOP devolves back to the future was the previous entry in this blog.

Because...well, because sometimes words are SO inadequate to the task is the next entry in this blog.

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