A gay marriage ban in Texas...

It's one thing to be against marriage for gays, but to also outlaw civil unions...well, that takes the humanity away from gays. Here's what's happening in Texas...

Hardly anyone seems aware of it, but on Nov. 8 Texans will vote on an unusually far-ranging state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and anything “similar” to it. Since it's an off-year election, the turnout is likely to be very low. It's an excellent—almost unique—opportunity to make a strong showing in a state where we should be blown away. But the campaign against the amendment has been lackluster and marred by poor tactical and substantive decision making.

The proposed state constitutional amendment would define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Nothing surprising there. But its second sentence goes on to prohibit the state and any of its political subdivisions (like counties and cities) from creating or recognizing any status “identical or similar” to marriage.

That means civil unions are out, and it probably prohibits broad domestic partnership programs, too. The amendment might also make enforcement of some private agreements between same-sex partners more doubtful since enforcing them might require a judge to “recognize” a relationship “similar” to marriage.
Civil unions will be out, and probably broad domestic partnership programs, too.

The Texas Marriage Amendment is thus among the most sweeping amendments proposed anywhere in the country. The damage it would do is huge and long-lasting. Short of a ruling that it violates the federal constitution, it could not be reversed except by another state constitutional amendment. That would require a 2/3 vote in both houses of the state legislature, followed by another popular vote. It will be a very long time before a majority, much less a super-majority, of the Texas legislature supports gay marriage or anything like it.

If you read the rest of the article, you can see how the gay community is blowing the campaign.