Women Born Transsexual

The GOP-backed bill would allow county clerks like Kim Davis to deny marriage licenses to gay couples.

By Daniel Reynolds
April 12 2017

Same-sex couples in Texas may soon have trouble tying the knot — and not due to cold feet.

A new bill, which won preliminary approval Tuesday in the Texas Senate, would allow county clerks and judges to deny these couples marriage licenses — if these public officials claim that issuing the licenses goes against their religious beliefs.

The Senate voted 21-10 in support of the bill, with unaminous Republican support and only one Democrat in favor — a striking partisan divide. If approved in a vote Wednesday, it will go to the House of Representatives.

“If we don’t do this, we are discriminating against people of faith,” said Sen. Brian Birdwell, the legislation’s sponsor.

However, critics say that this support of “religious freedom” is really a “license to discriminate” against LGBT people.

“This bill opens the door to taxpayer-funded discrimination against virtually anyone who doesn’t meet a public official’s personal moral standards,” said Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network.

Complete article at:  http://www.advocate.com/politics/2017/4/12/every-republican-texas-senate-voted-attack-marriage-equality