Looking back from future decades, it would certainly be an understatement to say that gay marriage was the subject matter of only a muted and second-tier national debate in earlier years of the 21st century.
In fact, it is hard to identify another issue presently that has gripped national attention in such a fundamental and riveting fashion as has same-sex marriage.
Our local readers know, of course, that Texas does not legally recognize gay marriage. We note the Texas ban on same-sex unions on our website at Vernier & Associates, PLLC.
We also note that times are changing, marked by both speed and strong impetus.
And no less a catalyst than the United States Supreme Court is centrally driving that change, as evidenced by the court’s recent announcement that it will rule on two key issues in an upcoming gay-marriage case.
Those issues are these:
First, must a state official (in any state of the country) grant a marriage license to a gay couple seeking one?
And, second, must an official from Texas or any other state legally recognize a marriage license granted to a same-sex couple in another state?
A court hearing in the case could occur later this spring, with a definitive ruling being issued perhaps a couple months later. Attorney General Eric Holder says that the Obama administration will file a legal brief in the case in support of gay marriage.
Will the decision signal a defining moment in American legal jurisprudence and a national coming together on an issue that has long been a lightning rod for strident debate and strongly opposed opinions?
Perhaps. Public opinion polls indicate that support for gay marriage has grown substantially in recent years. Thirty-six states already sanction gay marital unions, and conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia calls legalization of same-sex marriage “inevitable.”
Time will tell, of course. We will keep our readers fully informed of any breaking developments.
