State Rep. Lon Burnam (D-Fort Worth) filed a bill today that would remove provisions in the Texas Family Code that deny same-sex couples the ability to marry in Texas and allow the state to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.
“Continuing to deny all Texans the freedom to marry robs them of that experience and is detrimental to their families,” Burnam said in a statement. “Texans want a state where anyone can work hard and provide for their families. Our Texas values mandate defending the right of all Texans to have their rights and responsibilities as couples recognized by the state.”
The bill is the fifth such bill filed by state legislators this session; Dallas Rep. Rafael Anchia filed a bill to repeal the state’s anti-gay marriage amendment last week.
“The increasing public support for the freedom to marry in Texas is yet another sign that equal recognition of loving, committed couples is a mainstream Texas value,” Equality Texas executive director Chuck Smith said in a statement. “Rep. Burnam has long been an outspoken advocate for the LGBT community and the freedom to marry. HB 1300, together with the Joint Resolutions filed in the House and Senate, are the legislative steps necessary to enact into law what we already know to be true: that LGBT Texans are equal and deserve equal recognition of their familial relationships.”
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