Travis County won't issue same-sex marriage licenses after judge rules Texas' ban unconstitutional

[TexasTowelie]

AUSTIN — Travis County Probate Judge Guy Herman ruled Tuesday that the Texas ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, but the county will not begin issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.

Herman ruled as part of an estate fight in which Austin resident Sonemaly Phrasavath sought to have her eight-year relationship to Stella Powell deemed to have been a common-law marriage. Powell died last summer of colon cancer.

In a statement, Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir called Herman's order "a great step toward marriage equality," but added that the judge didn't instruct the county clerk to "begin to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples." DeBeauvoir said, therefore, she won't do so "at the present time."

The lawyer for the siblings who opposed Phrasavath’s claim said no decision has been made on whether to appeal.

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/state/headlines/20150217-travis-county-won-t-issue-same-sex-marriage-licenses-after-austin-judge-rules-texas-ban-unconstitutional.ece

[ashling]

1. When my little brother died with AIDS

I should say, about 3 weeks before he actually died, my older brother, dad, and I got a letter from him and his attorney telling us that his partner would get everything, etc. It hurt a little that he would do that ...

not because of the distribution, but that he felt he had to tell us to keep away, so to speak,

but I understood.