Clinging tightly to the anti-gay animus of Texas voters, Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton made clear that they don't really care for the U.S. Supreme Court messing with Texas when it comes to their one man, one woman marriages.
Sigh. It's got to be tough grasping at straws and the wrong side of history all at the same time. But Abbott and Paxton managed to do so on Tuesday when they issued statements ahead of the high court hearing arguments in gay marriage cases from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. (The Texas case is parked at the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.)
Abbott (photo) says he's been fighting against marriage equality even before voters elevated him to the governor's mansion.
“Texans voted overwhelmingly to define marriage in this State as the union of one man and one woman. As Texas’ attorney general, I defended the definition of marriage in the Texas Constitution against court challenges, and I commend Attorney General Paxton for continuing that work. Texans—not unelected federal judges—should decide this important question for their State. I sincerely hope the U.S. Supreme Court will respect the sovereign right of States to define marriage.”
Paxton reminds fans that he's fighting against gay marriage anywhere he can.
“Today, the United States Supreme Court hears an important case that will define ordered liberty and self-government under the United States Constitution. At stake in this case is whether the people of the State of Texas—and people in the states across the nation—can make their own laws defining marriage. Seventy-six percent of Texas voters chose to define marriage as being between one man and one woman and I am committed to defending the Texas Constitution and self-government by Texans. That is why I joined with Louisiana and other states in filing an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court defending the will of the people of Texas.”
Paxton followed that with a tough-sounding tweet.
I will continue to defend the sovereignty of our state and our Constitutional authority to define #marriage: https://t.co/CGX590PBcp #txlege
— Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) April 28, 2015
At least one gay Texas couple has their own message for Abbott and Paxton: Piss off.
[h/t Towleroad]