To: The Texas State House, The Texas State Senate, and Governor Greg Abbott
Leaders of the State of Texas: Do Your Job & Follow the Law
Stop using "religious liberty" as an excuse to not enforce the laws of the United States or provide equal access, applicability and protection to all of the citizens of the State of Texas
Why is this important?
The United States Supreme Court has ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that marriage is a constitutionally protected right of all citizens of the United States of America, including members of the LGBT community.
When you, and all officials of this State, decided to enter into public service you became servants of all of the citizens of Texas, not just the ones you agree with. The public servants of this State receive their paychecks from the State, counties and cities that they serve, not from their respective churches or religious institutions. We have no issue with you having your deeply held religious beliefs. But if they prevent you from executing your jobs, from which the citizens of this State employ you to perform, then you should find another job.
You have a constitutional duty to enforce all laws, even the ones you do not agree with because of your deeply held religious beliefs. It is time for you to stop disrespecting the rule of law and begin to immediately require all public servants responsible for issuing marriage certificates to our LGBT Texans to do so, and to require any public servant who, under usual and ordinary circumstances, would perform a wedding ceremony to heterosexual couples to perform those same services to homosexual couples seeking to marry. Note that this requirement does not include any religious institution who have specific exclusions from the Supreme Court of the United States' ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.
When you, and all officials of this State, decided to enter into public service you became servants of all of the citizens of Texas, not just the ones you agree with. The public servants of this State receive their paychecks from the State, counties and cities that they serve, not from their respective churches or religious institutions. We have no issue with you having your deeply held religious beliefs. But if they prevent you from executing your jobs, from which the citizens of this State employ you to perform, then you should find another job.
You have a constitutional duty to enforce all laws, even the ones you do not agree with because of your deeply held religious beliefs. It is time for you to stop disrespecting the rule of law and begin to immediately require all public servants responsible for issuing marriage certificates to our LGBT Texans to do so, and to require any public servant who, under usual and ordinary circumstances, would perform a wedding ceremony to heterosexual couples to perform those same services to homosexual couples seeking to marry. Note that this requirement does not include any religious institution who have specific exclusions from the Supreme Court of the United States' ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.