Does Texas Permit Marriage?

April 23rd, 2013
marriage
Imagine a state were to pass a constitutional amendment like:
(a)
Homosexual marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of two men or two women.
(b)
This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to homosexual marriage.
This pretty clearly bans gay marriage, and it probably prohibits civil unions. Reaching a bit, it might also ban straight marriage, but it's not clear that's "similar" enough.

It turns out that Texas did pass an amendment like this back in 2005, but with a few different words:

(a)
Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.
(b)
This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.
First they define marriage, then they ban it. Really. This was pointed out as a problem at the time, and opponents even ran ads with elderly opposite-sex couples saying "don't erase our marriage".

So now I'm wondering: has anyone tried to use this? Arguing in a divorce case that in fact you were never married, so you don't have to divide your assets?

Comment via: google plus, facebook

Recent posts on blogs I like:

What are the results of more parental supervision and less outdoor play?

Ups and downs for mental health and injury rates The post What are the results of more parental supervision and less outdoor play? appeared first on Otherwise.

via Otherwise November 24, 2023

My startup advice

I sat down for a conversation with Alex Long. He took notes and sent them to me, and it seemed worth lightly-editing the notes and posting. I’ve left it quite raw, more like a tweet thread than a proper blog post.

via Home October 23, 2023

A Big Problem With The Going To Bed Book

One day my dad was reading this book called the "Going to Bed Book" to my sister Nora. The book is basically about a bunch of animals who are getting ready for bed on a boat. They go down the stairs, take a bath, hang their towels on the wall, find…

via Lily Wise's Blog Posts September 18, 2023

more     (via openring)