Texas attorney general: 'ban on same-sex marriage promotes childbirth'

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Texas attorney general: 'ban on same-sex marriage promotes childbirth'

Greg Abbott enters fray of contested ban by filing brief that says opposite-sex marriage better supports children

Associated Press in Dallas
theguardian.com, Tuesday 29 July 2014 15.51 EDT


Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage allows the state to promote the birth and upbringing of children in “stable, lasting relationships”, the state’s attorney general argued Tuesday while asking a federal appeals court to reinstate the ban.

Attorney general Greg Abbott, the Republican nominee for governor, said the views of ban opponents could be considered “rational”. But he argued that Texas voters have the right under the US constitution’s equal protection clause, the same amendment often cited by ban opponents, to define marriage in a way that best supports children.

“There are good, well-meaning people on both sides,” he wrote to the fifth US circuit court of appeals, echoing previous sentiments in the case. But he argued that opposite-sex couples are better suited to have and raise children, and thus help reduce “societal costs”.

“Because same-sex relationships do not naturally produce children, recognizing same-sex marriage does not further these goals to the same extent that recognizing opposite-sex marriage does,” the brief said.


Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/29/texas-same-sex-marriage-abbott-children-appeal

[Judi Lynn]

3. I just changed the O.P. after discovering the OP had already been posted by elleng.

This DU'er got there at the time I was changing the article.

My fault.

[notadmblnd]

4. sorry, I thought I was responding to a different thread.

I really don't know how I landed here.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Embarrassed to have tripped you up, notadmblnd! Your post was right: I changed the story!

That story was already posted by elleng, so I tried to quickly replace my dupe with another article, crunched your post in the meantime.

The story regarding Detroit's mayor regaining control of Detroit's water is with the original poster, elleng.

Thanks.

[TygrBright]

5. "Yay, honey! Teh Ebil Gayz Can't Get Married! Come & Make Me Preggers!"

I'm trying to figure out how preventing gay people from marrying accomplishes higher birth rates.

This was the best I could come up with.

Of course, there's also this one "Darn, I can't marry the woman of my dreams. Guess I'll have to marry some guy who will impregnate me after all."

Neither of these makes sense to me.

WTF?!?

baffledly,
Bright

[Judi Lynn]

9. One of the oddest public statements by a Republican ever made, but then there are so many! n/t

[TygrBright]

10. Srsly. This dude needs to go back to 6th grade "health" class.

A little basic physiology review might be in order.

wearily,
Bright

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. So, any hetro person who is:

1. sterile
2. not planning on having children
3. over the age of child bearing

cannot be married either.
Right?

[area51]

41. +1

I'm sure Abbott is too stupid to understand that that's the logical conclusion of his argument.

[christx30]

43. I know the only thing that would stop me

from having another child with my wife is if gay marriage is legal. Keeping it banned stops she and I from leaving each other for partners of the same sex. With it banned, we are forced to be together and have kids. Damn ban.

[Kelvin Mace]

6. As my geometry teacher used to say

"Show your work."

[leftyladyfrommo]

8. I should never read these things when I'm stoned.

They make absolutely no sense to me. Nothing they say goes together.

[CTyankee]

19. I assure you that reading it not stoned is equally nonsensical...

[leftyladyfrommo]

37. So it's not just me?

I always read this stuff several times and it's kind of like falling down the rabbit hole. The whole front end of the sentences don't go with the back end.

Kind of like the stuff Ted Nugent says. I can't make heads or tails out of it. Except that it's nasty and stupid. That man belongs in a mental institution.

[Judi Lynn]

11. AG Greg Abbott filed appeal to uphold Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage

AG Greg Abbott filed appeal to uphold Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage
By Brittney Martin
[e-mail]
11:49 am on July 29, 2014

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed an appeal with the U.S. 5th Circuit Monday regarding the state’s same-sex marriage ban, which was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in February.

According to the brief, Abbott said Texas can ban same-sex marriage based on the State’s interest in procreation.

The State contends that marriage between a man and a woman “increases the likelihood” that they will produce and raise their children in “stable, lasting relationships.”

“Because same-sex relationships do not naturally produce children, recognizing same-sex marriage does not further these goals to the same extent that recognizing opposite-sex marriage does,” the brief reads. “That is enough to supply a rational basis for Texas’s marriage laws.”

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia in San Antonio in February struck down Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage, but Garcia stayed the ruling from taking effect pending appeal.

In 2005, Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and said the state would not recognize same-sex marriages.

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/07/ag-greg-abbott-files-appeal-to-uphold-texas-ban-on-same-sex-marriage.html/

[tom_kelly]

12. More Texas dumb n/t

[kentauros]

13. More Texas-Republican dumb

There! I fixed it for you!

[tom_kelly]

15. Danke

[lululu]

14. why is it a goal to have kids

when the world is so overpopulated?

Splain yerself, Greggie.

[QuestForSense]

17. Greg Abbott is dumber than Rick Perry; their constituents are even dumber.

Stable, lasting relationships? In a way that best supports children? Helps reduce "societal costs?"
Only in theory. Check the divorce rate.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

18. Can someone please translate the attorney general's statement into 21st century English?

He must be using some type of archaic form that sounds like gibberish.

[shenmue]

20. Zarp flooble garbing zap gleen

There, that should fix it.

[elleng]

22. glurg!

[elleng]

21. and we all know we have to promote childbirth,

because we're about to run out of babies, right???

[Tetris_Iguana]

26. I think he means white babies

whatever that is.

[Judi Lynn]

28. No doubt at all! Homophobic racists are probably getting panicky!

Whatever would happen if this country runs out of Republicans?

[elleng]

34. Well, too bad,

my family has recently added 2 white babies, NOT in Texas, and NOT likely to be repugs!!!

[jmowreader]

42. We'd all be better off.

[LoisB]

23. I get it! If same sex couples can not get married, then opposite sex couples will

make more babies. Right?

[blkmusclmachine]

24. So, this is the newest LIE the Bible thumpers are pushing to attack Gay American citizens, and deny

them the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness???

[Shoonra]

25. Does this mean that ...

Does this mean that he will support same-sex marriage for people who are too old to have children, or who have some medical condition that precludes their having children. In other words if at least one party to marriage has a condition that makes it impossible for either sire or bear children in a hetero marriage, then that person can legally be in a same-sex marriage.

So we could legally have same-sex marriages between women who are menopausal or other infertile, and similarly have same-sex marriages between men who are infertile? How about pairs who have both decided that they don't want children even if they could have them in a hetero coupling?

Seems like there might be some wiggle room there.

[Mz Pip]

27. There are 7 billion people on the planet

We really don't need to be promoting childbirth.

I'm not sure what Abbott is implying here. How does denying Gays the right to marry promote childbirth? Will straight people stop having kids if Gay people are allowed to marry? Will Gay people stop having kids if they can't get married? Seriously, WTF is he talking about?

[kickitup]

29. Wasn't this the same argument my state (Kentucky) put forth?

And that a federal judge slapped down?

[cynzke]

30. Yeah.....

In thousands of households tonight couples are saying....."Ya know hon, Abbott says gays can't marry. Lets have a baby!"

[Swede Atlanta]

31. What?

So let me get this clear.....

By preventing Adam and Steve and Eve and Ruth from marrying, the state of Florida promotes Bob and Mary and Harry and Sally to get pregnant and bring up their children in stable lasting relationships?

The facts don't seem to support your assertion. First of all 50% of heterosexual marriages end in divorce. Serial monogamy is all the rage among heterosexuals it appears. I doubt Adam and Steve's nuptials have anything to do with the popularity of divorce among heterosexual couples. I doubt Bob sees Adam and Steve getting married, imagines them getting it on and decides to divorce Mary and go on his own "man" hunt.

The assertions are so ludicrous. If the right case comes before the Supreme Court with the same silly arguments against marriage equality, a FAIR and IMPARTIAL SCOTUS would have no problem in upholding marriage equality as a right.

The problem is we don't have a FAIR and IMPARTIAL SCOTUS. We have at least 5 men on the court who appear to follow their faith rather than the law. If the Catholic church is opposed to same-gender marriage they will vote against giving hundreds of thousands if not millions of Americans equal rights with respect to marriage and the attendant benefits and obligations.

I was just a child at the time but I remember Kennedy having to convince Americans his Catholicism would not interfere with his loyalty to the U.S. first. The Kennedy family, while deeply, Catholic, appears to have been consistent in separating their personal religious views from the secular duties of governing. The same questions should have been asked of the 5 Catholic men sitting on the high court. They would probably have lied just to be confirmed but the question should have been asked.

[Gothmog]

32. Greg Abbott is an idiot

This brief is really stupid even for Greg

[dembotoz]

33. i am 61 years old-would he make it illegal for me to remarry

i would assume it would be someone around my age.

THANK GOD i do not think i would need to worry much about pregnancy.

since procreation is not an option wouldn't it be true that marriage would be banned.

and if younger wouldn't any couple who considered getting married have to undergo fertility tests
i mean --love can not be true if one is sterile

[IronLionZion]

35. Gay marriage has already ruined a lot of republican marriages

forcing them to get caught up in all sorts of scandalous stuff instead of making enough babies.

You know who already have naturally produced children? Poor people! But the pro-lifers say those folks are "breeding like rabbits" and shouldn't have those children using up all our tax dollars on unecessary luxuries like food and medicine. Assholes.

Gay people are the least likely to have abortions or use food stamps. Just saying...

[Lost In America]

36. I must have missed it. Seriously, do you remember seeing them?

The tragic reports of all those straight people in the 19 states where gay marriage is legal have all stopped having children, right?

Gays can get married so straights won't have children anymore. That's what he's saying, isn't it?

[hamsterjill]

38. ATTENTION ALL TEXAS DU'ERS!!!!

THIS is why Wendy needs to win. We have got to vote and bring others to the poles!

[DiverDave]

39. Yep, he's an idiot

old news I guess.

[Aerows]

40. What?

Raise your hand if you know people that are in stable homosexual relationships and are raising their kids together because their heterosexual relationships were train wrecks?

:raises hand:

[Trillo]

44. Let me translate: They'll let you marry only if you are more likely to produce

a future taxpayer. The viewpoint is primarily about property and ownership.

[Orsino]

45. Texas needs more children to starve...

...if Perry is to complete the ritual that opens the gate to R'lyeh.

[Orsino]

46. Opposite-sex couples ARE better suited to raise children...

...because of the stupid bigotry like this that stands in the way of other families. Self-fulfilling.