Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Asks Texas Supreme Court To Void Lesbian Couple's Marriage License

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday asked the state Supreme Court to void the marriage license of a lesbian couple.

Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant exchanged vows outside the Travis County Clerk's Office on Thursday, a day after Travis County Probate Judge Guy Herman struck down Texas' ban on gay marriage as part of an estate fight.

Goodfriend and Bryant, together more than 30 years, asked a separate judge to force Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir to issue them a marriage license and wave the customary 72-hour waiting period. The couple cited Goodfriend's diagnosis and treatment for ovarian cancer in arguing that the state's continued refusal to issue them a marriage license was causing them irreparable harm.

Within hours of the nuptials, the justices stayed the two rulings at Paxton's request.

In asking the state's highest court to nullify the license, Paxton argued that allowing the marriage to stand would lead to “chaos.”

“As a result of the trial court's ruling, at least one same-sex couple has been issued an invalid marriage license, but there may have been more,” Paxton told the court. “Moreover, the state of the law in Texas has been needlessly cast into doubt.”

“Relief from this Court is necessary to avoid the legal chaos that would follow if the trial court's ruling is mistakenly interpreted as authorization for the creation or recognition of same-sex marriages in Travis County or throughout the State.”

In a statement, Paxton added that the license “is not valid because it conflicts with the Texas Constitution and State law – the license is therefore void ab initio.”

Brian Thompson, an attorney representing the couple, said that the marriage remains valid.

“If he's in the business of suing loving couples who've been together 30 years, one of whom has cancer, then I think it's a sad day for Texas,” Thompson said.

These so called Christians who show absolutely no compassion and heartlessly try to dehumanize and demonize gay people, deserve to be treated exactly the same...without mercy, without compassion, without regard for their lives, their liberty or their happiness.