US: Texas begins hearing in lawsuit to strike-down ‘abhorrent’ same-sex marriage ban
A powerful opening argument was heard in federal court on Wednesday in a case seeking to strike-down Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage.
The court heard opening arguments which said the ban on gay and lesbian couples marrying was an “abhorrent violation of human and US constitutional rights.”
Two couples in the US state of Texas are this week challenging the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.
A lawsuit to challenge a 2005 constitutional amendment in the state went to court on Wednesday in San Antonio.
Barry Chasnoff, attorney for the plaintiffs, on Wednesday told the court: “These people are denied the fundamental right to marry because they were born with an immutable sexual orientation which some people do not like.”
He asked Judge Orlando Garcia for an injunction to block enforcement of the same-sex marriage ban.
The original amendment was approved with around 70% of votes, and the state’s Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is also a hopeful in the race for Governor, has said he will defend the amendment.
Freedom to Marry has hailed this lawsuit as the first in the deep South of the US, to challenge a same-sex marriage ban.
Judge Garcia said he thought the fight over equal marriage in the state would drag on, saying: “No matter how I rule, this is going to be appealed.”
