Same-sex marriage ban may see wider effect

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Opponents to a Texas proposal to ban same-sex marriages claim the measure would, in fact, invalidate all marriages in the state.

While supporters of Proposition 2, which goes before Texas voters Nov. 8, say the measure would allow Texas to join eight other states that ban same-sex marriages, the fight against it has taken a different twist.

The proposal reads, in part, "This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage." Groups against Proposal 2, tell the Austin American-Statesman not recognizing anything identical to marriage could be interpreted as meaning not recognizing marriage.

The American-Statesman said lawyers it contacted expressed doubts that any court would say the measure does away with marriages in Texas.

David Richards, formerly with the state attorney general's office, told the newspaper Proposal 2's wording is "crazy. The language is so ludicrous that I can see courts just in exasperation saying, 'If you don't learn to write a statute or a constitutional amendment with more clarity than that, don't look for us to bail you out.'"