Republican lawmakers in Texas have introduced legislation that would strip marriage rights from transgender people, the AP reports:
One of the Republican sponsors of the legislation said he's simply trying to clean up the 2009 law in a state that bans same-sex marriage under the constitution.
"The Texas Constitution," Sen. Tommy Williams (pictured) said, "clearly defines marriage between one man and one woman."
The legislation by Williams, of Houston, and Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, of Brenham, would prohibit county and district clerks from using a court order recognizing a sex change as documentation to get married, effectively requiring the state to recognize a 1999 state appeals court decision that said in cases of marriage, gender is assigned at birth and sticks with a person throughout their life even if they have a sex change.
Not only would the legislation strip away future marriage rights, it could nullify some marriages already in existence.
The legislation has passed a Senate committee vote and awaits approval but the full Senate. Similar legislation in the House has not yet had a hearing.
