By Alexa Ura, The Texas Tribune December 4, 2017 Denying the city of Houston’s request, the U.S. Supreme Court will not review a June decision by the Texas Supreme Court, which ruled that the landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage does not fully address the right to marriage benefits. The high court on Monday announced it…
Texas Supreme Court Throws Out Ruling That Favored Same-Sex Marriage Benefits
By Alexa Ura, The Texas Tribune June 30, 2017 Editor’s note: This story has been updated throughout. The Texas Supreme Court on Friday threw out a lower court ruling that said spouses of gay and lesbian public employees are entitled to government-subsidized same-sex marriage benefits. The state’s highest civil court ordered a trial court to…
Texas Conservatives Are Still Fighting Marriage Equality
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. On Wednesday, March 1, the Texas Supreme Court will hear arguments over a lawsuit that not only targets the rights of married gay couples in the state but also seeks to blunt the impact of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that granted marriage equality nationwide in the…
Activists Denounce Lawsuit that Seeks to Block Benefits to Married Same-Sex Couples in Texas
Texas LGBT activists have filed amicus briefs in a case pending before the Texas Supreme Court (Pidgeon v. Harris) where the City of Houston’s ability to provide spousal benefits to married same-sex couples is being challenged. The case, brought against the City of Houston by anti-LGBT lobbyists Jonathan Saenz and Jared Woodfill, would specifically block…
Texas Supreme Court to Hear Case Attacking Benefits of Married LGBT Couples
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court changed its mind about hearing a case threatening the rights of married gay couples in the state. The case, brought against the City of Houston by anti-LGBT lobbyists, would specifically block same-sex spouses of government employees from receiving any health benefits (benefits…
State Senator Jose Menendez: Advocate and Ally
On September 24, the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio honored state Senator Jose Menendez with the Political Advocacy Award, which is given annually to “an elected or appointed official who has made significant contributions toward the advancement of equality for LGBT persons at the local, state or national level.” The award was presented at Stonewall’s…
Independence Day weddings at Unity Church
It may seem odd to some to have a wedding on the Fourth of July; it’s Independence Day after all and marriage is often the end of independence. But it makes sense this day, this year–because ever since the June 26 Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the LGBTQ community now has the freedom…