Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Texas' Anti-Sodomy Statute just won't Stay Dead!


Republicans fools are stalling the repeal of the Texas' anti-sodomy statute. It was labeled unconstitutional 8 years ago and language has been changed, but still, the Repubs are being assholes about it.

Mother Jones has the story:
A pair of identical bills that have been introduced in the Texas House would delete language from the state penal code making "deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex" a misdemeanor offense. Under the proposals, a clause in the state's health and safety code that cites the criminal statute and states that homosexuality is "not an acceptable lifestyle" would also be repealed.


That is, if the legislature's Republican supermajority ever lets the bills come to a vote.


"Their silence is deafening," says Democratic State Rep. Jessica Farrar, who sponsored one of the proposals. "It's killing us. It's just as bad as if they were vocal."
The reason why they are stalling the repeal is ridic:
State Rep. Wayne Christian, a Republican and one of the state's leading social conservative politicians, told the Austin American-Statesman last month that he likely wouldn't support the bills repealing the ban on gay sex because the House already has too much on its plate. Among other things, the legislature is debating a bill to allow college students to carry concealed firearms in lecture halls, a measure to require women to view an ultrasound before having an abortion, and legislation to prevent state courts from applying Islamic sharia law. Neither Christian nor any of the other five Republicans on the Legislature's criminal jurisprudence committee responded to Mother Jones' requests for comment.

Farrar has no illusions about the bill's chances: "The prospects don't look good."
Come on, Texas! Get it together!

source

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Viktor is a small town southern boy living in Los Angeles. You can find him on Twitter, writing about pop culture, politics, and comics. He’s the creator of the graphic novel StrangeLore and currently getting back into screenwriting.