Mayor Annise Parker took to Twitter late Thursday to complain about the Texas Department of Public Safety's refusal to accept her daughter's birth certificate to get a driver's test apparently because it includes the names of both her moms.
Daughter needs drivers test. Has all docs, some in MomA name, some MomK, but w/ birth cert showing both. DPS says can only be from 1 mom!-A
— Annise Parker (@AnniseParker) October 24, 2014
According to DPS requirements, a birth certificate is required as a secondary document to confirm identity if an applicant does not have a Texas ID card or license, or an unexpired passport. A DPS spokesperson could not be immediately reached on Friday to discuss the application process and respond to Parker's tweet.
We also reached out to a spokesperson for Parker and will update the post if we hear back.
Parker and Hubbard, married in California in January, have four children – three daughters and a son. Parker discussed her family in a Mother's Day essay for Huffington Post in 2013.
DPS also won't honor name changes from gay marriages legally performed in other states, according to the Texas Observer. Just ask Connie Wilson. That's thanks to the state's gay marriage ban, which is being challenged in federal court.
UPDATE | Parker, in a tweet on Friday afternoon, said the license has been secured, but knocked the “unnecessary paper chase” it took to get it.
Finally! After 3rd trip to DPS w/ different sets of docs in an unnecessary paper chase, last child has her drivers license.-A
— Annise Parker (@AnniseParker) October 24, 2014
Thank you to the DPS clerk & supervisor in the Rosenberg office who took the time to read my daughters documentation & realize it was OK.-A
— Annise Parker (@AnniseParker) October 24, 2014
UPDATE II | The Houston Chronicle reported that it took three trips for Parker's daughter, Marquitta, to take the road test for her driver's licnse.
Parker, the teenage daughter of Houston Mayor Annise Parker, was turned away from taking the road test for a Texas driver's license on Thursday because, according to the mayor, there are inconsistencies on her personal identification documents.
The mayor in a tweet said in some spots she is listed as the girl's mother, while in others Annise Parker's wife, Kathy Hubbard, is listed at the mother. They adopted the girl in 2003 and both are her parents.
Two previous trips to the DPS were unsuccessful, but a third trip Friday to the Rosenberg office did the trick, the mayor tweeted.
The two women jointly adopted Marquitta and her older sister Daniela in 2003. Parker and Hubbard married earlier this year in California.
UPDATE III | Tom Vinger, a DPS spokesperson, told Project Q there was a delay since Parker's daughter didn't provide “sufficient documentation to prove residency.”
“All individuals applying for their first Texas driver license must provide a variety of documents to prove their identity, Social Security Number, U.S. citizenship or lawful presence status, and Texas residency. In this case, the adult applicant did not initially present sufficient documentation to prove residency. Once she provided the required documentation, she was able to complete the transaction. There is no indication that any delay in the process was related to same-sex marriage.”
UPDATE IV | Even Texas Democrats have weighed in on the driver's test flap.
“It is devastating and heartbreaking to see how the discrimination of same-sex couples continues to affect their children. By denying this young girl the opportunity to apply for a driver’s license, the DPS has delegitimized her family.
“It is outrageous that a loving and supportive family is considered somehow less than normal by the law, simply because of who they love. Every Texan deserves leaders to be treated with dignity and respect. The Texas Democratic Party is proud to support candidates who will fight for fairness and equality for all.”
[h/t Lone Star Q]
