Same-Sex Marriage Laws in Texas - Essay Example

As of 2005, the constitution of the state of Texas was even amended to ban same-sex marriages (Freedomtomarry.org, 2015). During 2005 it was decided the state of Texas would only recognize those marriages as legal that take place between a male and a female and marriages between two females or two males were recognized as unconstitutional. It is not that no same-sex marriages take place within the state of Texas. During 2015 a same-sex marriage took place between two individuals belonging to the female gender and the matter was taken to the courts. The courts decided the case in favor of the couples but they did not recognize same-sex marriages as legal (Sanchez, 2015). The reason for recognizing their marriage as legal was the illness that was experienced by one of the couple. The ban on such marriages by the state of Texas has been severely criticized and recognized as unconstitutional by the federal as well as the state-level courts of Texas. These courts have recognized that the measures taken by the state of Texas to ban same-sex marriage are against the constitution of the United States of America.

            Same-sex marriage laws that have not yet been passed and enacted by the state of Texas include the consideration of legalization of same-sex marriage in Texas. In the state of Texas, civil unions which are a kind of marriage but not legal marriages have not yet been legalized in the state. Same-sex couples in the state of Texas are not entitled to the same benefits that are being experienced by couples of opposite-sex marriage. Marriage in the state of Texas is still defined as the union of a male and a female; on the other hand, this definition of marriage has been changed to incorporate same-sex couples in this definition.