Gay Texas Judge Refuses to Wed Straight Couples

Washington Post ^ | 2/24/2012 | Elizabeth Flock

[lbryce]

Correction: This post initially stated that Judge Tonya Parker was “no longer” marrying straight couples. Judge Parker has never performed such marriage ceremonies. This version has been corrected.

Catholic priests have refused to marry same-sex couples for years.

Judge Tonya Parker (Dallas County) Now, a Texas judge has an answer to that, saying she will not marry straight couples until gay marriage is legal in the state.

Judge Tonya Parker of Dallas County told the Dallas Voice that she respectfully tells couples why she can’t conduct their marriage ceremony:

“I'm sorry. I don't perform marriage ceremonies because we are in a state that does not have marriage equality, and until it does, I am not going to partially apply the law to one group of people that doesn’t apply to another group of people.” The Lone Star state judge also points out that she is not required by law to perform marriages, as it was considered a “discretionary function” that is not to interfere with “mandatory judicial duties.”

Parker is the first openly lesbian African American elected official in the state of Texas, where same-sex marriage is illegal.

Earlier this week in San Antonio, a Presbyterian minister was censured for performing same-sex marriages in California while it was legal to do so, PressDemocrat.com reports. The Rev. Jane Spahr says she performed the marriages as a matter of conscience. After hearing the church’s decision, she tweeted:

[tanknetter]

There’s a legal nuance at work here in that she doesn’t provide the service all, vs a business that only provides the service to heterosexuals.

If she did perform weddings, but (for instance) only for Blacks due to her belief that Whites were oppressors, THEN she’d have a problem.

[Ransomed]

Many have been conditioned to believe that the state defines marriage. It’s one of the big reasons so many accept impossibilities like ‘gay marriage,’ of course it can exist, judges say it can, pols and voters have votes on if it can exist or not. The faith groups that actually accept ‘gay marriage’ won’t even hold ceremonies for their members until the state they happen to be in accepts it first, truly bizarre.

Freegards

[plain talk]

Sounds like a potential Attorney General for this administration

[Conscience of a Conservative]

I read the oath. My point is that presiding over wedding ceremonies is not a “dut[y] incumbent upon” a judge. Texas law authorizes judges to preside over weddings, but does not require them to do so.

[Conscience of a Conservative]

Also, that is not the oath she took. She is a state court judge, not a “justice or judge of the United States.”

[Pilated]

Shouldn’t she lose her job like the cake makers and hospitality people did. She is doing what they were punished for and she is a public official. Who is too afraid to punish a gay supporting black women - why does she get a pass? I know the answer

[tanknetter]

Legally she gets a pass because she doesn’t provide the service at all.

I can bake a cake. Albiet poorly. If a gay couple showed up at my door and told me to bake a cake for them I’d say “I’m an analyst, I don’t bake cakes” and shut the door on them. And there’s not a damn thing they can do about it.

It’s if I say “I bake cakes, but not for gay weddings, go away” that I open myself to a lawsuit.

[SgtHooper]

Maybe so, but to then be selective could be a problem, and especially, if specific as to sexuality.

[Lurker]

Impeach and remove her for refusing to perform her duties.

[Verginius Rufus]

Another way they won’t be “equal” is that there won’t be any “shotgun” same-sex weddings.

[Farmer Dean]

Who wants to be married by a dyke anyway?

[Conscience of a Conservative]

She is not being selective (she can’t be selective - Texas law does not permit her to perform same-sex marriages). She is simply refusing to perform any marriages.

[Cementjungle]

Parker is the first openly lesbian African American elected official

Wow... the trifecta of protected classes. Female, gay and black. If she converts to Islam she'll be virtually invincible.

[Yosemitest]

This is what we get when we FAIL to OBEY God.
For it is written:

“ For whosoever shall commit ANY of these abominations,
even the SOULS that commit them
SHALL BE CUT OFF from among their people. ”

Those who support homosexuals are against our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
These anti Christ people only bring destruction on us ALL.
I have NO sympathy for homosexuals!

Homosexuality is a "Mark" of disobedience.

It was given by our Heavenly Father to test us
to see ... if we will OBEY our Heavenly Father,
and abide by His commandments, statues, and ordinances.

Someone once asked

"Why are they [homosexuals] all so angry?"

The answer is in the definition of "REPROBATE".

rep·ro·bate \ˈre-prə-ˌbāt\ a. [L. reprobatus, reprobo, to disallow; re and probo, to prove.]

1. Not enduring proof or trial; not of standard purity or fineness; disallowed; rejected.


Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them. Jer. 6.




2. Abandoned in sin; lost to virtue or grace.

They profess that they know God, but in works deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate. Titus 1.

3. Abandoned to error, or in apostasy. 2Tim. 3.

And the reason"why" is given in the Bible.

God has a cure for homosexuals.

But will we OBEY our Heavenly Father?

"Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect
that God is just,
that his justice cannot sleep forever."

[IrishBrigade]

this is denial of civil rights under color of authority.

...actually, it denial of rights under authority of color...

[hal ogen]

Yet another example of a degenerate affirmative-action, equal-opportunity loser.

[IrishBrigade]

...actually, it denial of rights under authority of color...

...ah, I was in such a hurry to be witty I left off the ‘s after ‘it’...

[octex]

Many have been conditioned to believe that the state defines marriage.
******************
The individual States do define the prerequisites to the privilages of getting both a driver license or a marriage license. Neither privilage is a “right”.

In re marriage, some States require a blood test or a waiting period while other States may not. ...Not a Federal matter!

[octex]

She is a state court judge, ...
**************************************
No. She is a Dallas County Civil District Judge.

[Ransomed]

“Neither privilage is a “right”.”

Would your faith not marry its members if the state refused to issue them licenses and forbade them from marrying? Because that is exactly what the faith groups that accept ‘gay marriage’ do.

“In re marriage, some States require a blood test or a waiting period while other States may not. ...Not a Federal matter!”

In many faiths, having a marriage license from any civil state doesn’t necessarily mean two people are actually married. Those faiths that don’t accept civil divorce and remarriage and ‘gay marriage’ are two examples.

Freegards