Gay Texas Judge Refuses to Perform Marriage Ceremonies(edited)

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

SLAMRAAM said:

That's my point - liberals don't care, they just think the end justifies the means. They're so hell bent on this stupid gay marriage issue that there's nothing they won't do. That's how self-righteous they are - they think they're entitled to not have to play by the rules just because of how "right" they are.

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Play by the rules?

Are you in a position where you MUST perform a marriage ceremony - or something? Is this a right that every member of the judiciary and clergy MUST enable no matter what? Have a playbook? Or is it just *your* defined rules that you want to follow?

I thought it was the union of two people who wanted to be together - not a political hockey puck.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

Aunt Spiker said:

Play by the rules?

Are you in a position where you MUST perform a marriage ceremony - or something? Is this a right that every member of the judiciary and clergy MUST enable no matter what? Have a playbook? Or is it just *your* defined rules that you want to follow?

I thought it was the union of two people who wanted to be together - not a political hockey puck.

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Straight couples have a legal right to be married in Texas.

What if the Judge was refusing to marry interracial couples which technically she has the right to do?

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

SLAMRAAM said:

Straight couples have a legal right to be married in Texas.

What if the Judge was refusing to marry interracial couples which technically she has the right to do?

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Doesn't mean that someone MUST perform a ceremony for them if they don't want to.

I don't think she MUST perform marriage ceremonies if she doesn't want to - we're not talking about her cherry picking, here - but just not doing it *at all* . . . why's that wrong?

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

SLAMRAAM said:

Straight couples have a legal right to be married in Texas.

What if the Judge was refusing to marry interracial couples which technically she has the right to do?

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FAIL - she refusing to perform marriages in Texas. Period.

It's that simple.

She doesn't need the extra money. But, holy-liberals batman, the small (BIG) Gov Conservatives can't have people thinking for themselves (abortion, contraception) so it's time to get all worked up over nothing...

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

hazlnut said:

FAIL - she refusing to perform marriages in Texas. Period.

It's that simple.

She doesn't need the extra money. But, holy-liberals batman, the small (BIG) Gov Conservatives can't have people thinking for themselves (abortion, contraception) so it's time to get all worked up over nothing...

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Wrong! She's refusing to perform straight marriages. That's discrimination.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

As much as I want to support her in her protest I just cant. I think its wrong for a government employee to deny a straight couple or a gay couple a marriage license because of personal bias.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

apdst said:

Wrong! She's refusing to perform straight marriages. That's discrimination.

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Considering that gay marriage is illegal in Texas, that's actually all marriages.

Maybe when that changes (not anytime soon in Texas), she'll only do gay ones, in which case you'll have a point.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

Omgitsme said:

As much as I want to support her in her protest I just cant. I think its wrong for a government employee to deny a straight couple or a gay couple a marriage license because of personal bias.

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She's not denying anyone a marriage license. She just won't perform the ceremony because the state denies gay couples marriage licenses by law.

Straights can still get married. It's not like she's the only judge in Dallas.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

rocket88 said:

She's not denying anyone a marriage license. She just won't perform the ceremony because the state denies gay couples marriage licenses by law.

Straights can still get married. It's not like she's the only judge in Dallas.

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I stand corrected. Still cant support her though.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

SLAMRAAM said:

Straight couples have a legal right to be married in Texas.

What if the Judge was refusing to marry interracial couples which technically she has the right to do?

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Refusing to marry interracial couples but still doing it for same race couples would be wrong.

She's not performing any marriages. Gay or straight, white, black or green. You just have your panties in a wad because it's "liberals."

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

Since performing a marriage is discretionary, I beleive the Judge can refuse to perform the ceremony for any reason or no reason, but, not due to race, creed, color, sexual orientation or age etc. Therefore if she says she will not preform the ceremony, if requested, and she clearly states it is due to the sexual orientation of the individuals then it would clearly be a discriminatory practice.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

Connery said:

Since performing a marriage is discretionary, I beleive the Judge can refuse to perform the ceremony for any reason or no reason, but, not due to race, creed, color, sexual orientation or age etc. Therefore if she says she will not preform the ceremony, if requested, and she clearly states it is due to the sexual orientation of the individuals then it would clearly be a discriminatory practice.

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But to make it clear -- this is ALL marriages. She's not performing ANY marriage because gay marriage is illegal. She is not marrying gays and refusing straights. She is not performing marriages at all.

It is a form of protest against the fact that gay marriage isn't legal in Texas. If she refuses to marry straights when she can marry gays, then it's discriminatory. Until then, it's not discriminatory because she isn't marrying anybody.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

rocket88 said:

But to make it clear -- this is ALL marriages. She's not performing ANY marriage because gay marriage is illegal. She is not marrying gays and refusing straights. She is not performing marriages at all.

It is a form of protest against the fact that gay marriage isn't legal in Texas. If she refuses to marry straights when she can marry gays, then it's discriminatory. Until then, it's not discriminatory because she isn't marrying anybody.

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I disagree. She can say whatever she wants outside the scope of her duties. But if asked to perform a ceremony, and she then refuses specifically because of the couple's sexual orientation then it is discrimination. Should she cite conflicting schedules, sickness or she just does not feel like performing the ceremony, even in light of what she said at a meeting then I do not see a problem. If there can a pattern that can be established where she refuses to perform the ceremony when asked that may give rise to a possible investigation of discrimination based upon her statements.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

Connery said:

I disagree. She can say whatever she wants outside the scope of her duties. But if asked to perform a ceremony, and she then refuses specifically because of the couple's sexual orientation then it is discrimination. Should she cite conflicting schedules, sickness or she just does not feel like performing the ceremony, even in light of what she said at a meeting then I do not see a problem. If there can a pattern that can be established where she refuses to perform the ceremony when asked that may give rise to a possible investigation of discrimination based upon her statements.

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It is not within the scope of her duties. In Texas, it is optional for a Judge to perform weddings.

Additionally, her explaination of "I'm not going to partially apply the law to one group of people that doesn't apply to another group of people," tells me that she covered her ass on the Discrimination charge.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

Chiefgator said:

It is not within the scope of her duties. In Texas, it is optional for a Judge to perform weddings.

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That has been my position as i stated previously.

Additionally, her explaination of "I'm not going to partially apply the law to one group of people that doesn't apply to another group of people," tells me that she covered her ass on the Discrimination charge

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No it depends upon the circumstance of her refusal to perform the ceremony if asked to do so as I outlined previously; any reason or no reason but not due to her views toward sexual orientation. She is not there to legislate, a judge is to follow the law and apply it according to case law, statute or the like.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

Connery said:

That has been my position as i stated previously.


No it depends upon the circumstance of her refusal to perform the ceremony if asked to do so as I outlined previously; any reason or no reason but not due to her views toward sexual orientation. She is not there to legislate, a judge is to follow the law and apply it according to case law, statute or the like.

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Ok, I see that you did state that. My apoligies.
And as I stated before, I am sure she took into account that this may well cost her her position. If it does, I would not disagree with her dismissal, but I do still feel she has a case to fight it with her comment above.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

apdst said:

Wrong! She's refusing to perform straight marriages. That's discrimination.

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:doh:

Well she certainly can't perform GAY marriages because gays aren't allowd to marry - which is the whole reason for her view.

It doesn't mean anything"

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

Chiefgator said:

Ok, I see that you did state that. My apoligies.
And as I stated before, I am sure she took into account that this may well cost her her position. If it does, I would not disagree with her dismissal, but I do still feel she has a case to fight it with her comment above.

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We are talking about two different issues. Nevertheless I do not disagree with you. The judge wants to be the "poster child" for her personal cause which may include "sacrificing" her political career.The group she addressed, Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, is an openly LGBT political group. Naturally she wanted the press and publicity associated with her statements. She has no problem speaking of her personal bias in the courtroom, Parker described examples of discrimination in the courtroom that she has seen and been able to stop:

She once heard a case involving a man who allegedly molested a young boy in which a participant used the terms "homosexual" and "child molester" interchangeably.

"When a man molests a little girl, people don't call him heterosexual," Parker said in the video. "So, when this man molests this little boy, assuming [the] allegations to be true, you are not going to stand in my courtroom and call him a homosexual."

Another example she gave was the Texas Supreme Court's jury instruction that dictates that jurors cannot discuss cases with their husbands or wives.

"Well, I might have modified it a little bit," Parker said to her audience. "And I said, 'Do not discuss this case with your husband, your wife or your partner.'"

She said these are small ways of making her point but she believes it is important to go out of her way to do things that others in the LGBT community might not be able to do because they are not in her position of power."

I would have a problem with this judge if I were a litigant and ask for a change of jurist as I am not LGBT. The Judge's impartiality and objectivity has clearly been compromised.

Re: Gay judge refuses to perform Straight weddings

I very clearly see your point. If I were a plaintiff in a case with a homosexual, And she was the judge.... I would certainly feel that I was In an uphill battle.