Thursday, March 28, 2024 Mar 28, 2024
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Law

Gay Couple Gets No Love From Dallas County

By Stacey Yervasi |
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Instead of lunching at my desk, like usual, I tagged along with a protest-loving FBvian for a demonstration in honor of National Freedom to Marry Day at the Records Building downtown. It was more eventful than a trip to Whole Foods, I’ll tell you that. The takeaway: a same-sex couple still can’t get a marriage license in the state of Texas. Jump if you want the full (tense) report and more pics.

About 15 or so participants and several media types wielding cameras and notebooks gathered in the plaza outside at 11:30, when, after a brief introduction by Queer LiberAction founder Blake Wilkinson (in tux, at right), Rev. Daniel Kanter of First Unitarian Church of Dallas performed a ceremony between Rose and Kim with all the trappings of the hetero version. Then we blew bubbles, cheered, and headed inside to try and get a marriage license for the newly hitched couple.

We sang “Going to the Chapel” as we made our way in. People stared. It was awkwardish. The folks in the marriage license office were clearly prepared for our arrival, and the clerk (pictured at left) pleasantly informed Rose and Kim that the state of Texas does not grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Duh. Then Blake asked to speak to County Clerk John Warren (below right). That’s when things got a little hairy. The room was packed, and Warren was shaky under Blake’s barrage (example: “You are upholding bigoted laws. What would you have done 50 years ago if a white man and a black woman came in trying to get a marriage license?”). Still, at least Warren came down to address the crowd, and after several minutes of tense exchanges, everyone thanked him for his time as he shook hands with the group, including the rejected couple.

Blake and his Queer LiberAction minions will be conducting more protests and demonstrations like this in the future. QL’s events, such as the recent Kiss-In, are beginning to attract attention. (Here‘s the DMN report from today. And the Voice here.) It should be interesting.

P.S. Warren’s goodwill gesture did little to placate Blake. The words “spineless coward” featured prominently in his closing remarks.

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