Another small step towards marriage equality was made today in Texas.
A marriage license was issued to Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant today by the Travis County Clerk’s office.
As of right now, there will be no other licenses issued to other couples. According to The Raw Story, the “expedited issuance” of the license was a result of Goodfriend’s request because of her “poor health due to ovarian cancer.”
Judge David Wahlberg’s ruling:
“…not doing so violates ‘their rights under the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.'”
Although a U.S. district judge ruled the state’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, enforcement is at a standstill pending appeal. The Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made the statement yesterday:
“Texas law is clear on the definition of marriage and I will fight to protect this sacred institution and uphold the will of Texans, who voted overwhelmingly in favor of a constitutional amendment defining the union as between one man and one woman.”
Regardless, two women are happily married as of today in the state of Texas.
Suzanna Bryant:
“We are grateful to have had this opportunity to crack the door open in Texas. We hope it will swing open for everyone very soon.”
Goodfriend:
“We can’t control what the AG’s office wants to do. If they want to come in and try to undo this they will, but we have a valid marriage license, but I don’t think they can.”
The couple, who has been together for 30 years, were married by a rabbi at the county clerk’s office with their children joining them for the ceremony.
Congratulations Ms. Goodfriend and Bryant. We wish you all the best in the world and many happy years together!
