Texas judge voids transgender widow's marriage

[cali]

WHARTON, Texas (AP) -- A Texas judge has signed an order that voids the marriage of a transgender widow whose firefighter husband died battling a blaze.

The order prevents Nikki Araguz from receiving the death benefits of her firefighter husband, Thomas Araguz III, who died last year.

State District Judge Randy Clapp's ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by the firefighter's family. The suit claims his widow should collect nothing because she was born a man and Texas doesn't recognize same-sex marriages.

In his ruling signed last week and made public Tuesday, the Wharton County judge said the marriage was "void as a matter of law."

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FIREFIGHTER_TRANSGENDER_WIDOW?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-05-31-19-27-23

[AtomicKitten]

1. Well that bullshit is appeal-worthy.

[WillParkinson]

2. Absolutely disgusting....

How dare he. Whatever she decides to do I hope she gets justice in the end.

[xchrom]

3. GAAAAH! Nt

[ejpoeta]

4. nice that his family doesn't care what he wanted. uggh. he loved her. he married her.

and his family just shit all over him. disgusting.

[Loki]

5. The Texas style Republican hate is alive and well.

I don't know how these christo-fascist terrorists get up every morning and look at their reflection in the mirror. May their hate destroy them and everything they touch.


*edited for early morning spelling.

[tammywammy]

6. Here's am article with more details

http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-judge-set-rule-validity-firefighters-marriage-transgendered/story?id=13686621

[Cid_B]

7. Couple of important details...

Delgado's attorney says that Nikki Araguz did not legally change her gender on her birth certificate until two weeks after her husband's death, meaning that the marriage between two men would be invalid in Texas at the time of the death because the state does not recognize same-sex marriages.

Thomas Araguz's family alleged in a lawsuit that a distraught Thomas had been separated from Araguz after discovering that his wife of two years had been born a man.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-judge-set-rule-validity-firefighters-marriage-transgendered/story?id=13686621

__________________________________________________

If either one of those are true, especially the first I expect they will continue to lose, even on appeal.

______________________________________-

Edit after watching the video : The deceased firefighter had sworn under deposition that he did not know that Nikki had had a sex change. All came about after his ex found out along with multiple drug charges and check fraud charges.

Nikki claims that he knew but lied on the stand.

Not so clear cut...

[tammywammy]

8. I think this is honestly just a good reminder that people need to have a will

The argument is between his wife at the time of death and the two children he had beforehand.

[Cid_B]

9. Kick now that everyone is up...