Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a
Republican, on Thursday reiterated his support for the state's ban on
gay marriage.
In a statement, Abbott said that he was
responding to “the ruling by a Travis County district judge” but
didn't discuss specifics in the case.
“Article 1, Section 32 of the Texas
Constitution defines marriage as consisting ‘only of the union of
one man and one woman’ and was approved by more than three-quarters
of Texas voters,” he said. “I am committed to ensuring that the
Texas Constitution is upheld and that the rule of law is maintained
in the State of Texas.”
Abbott, who was sworn in as the 48th
governor of Texas on January 20, defended the ban in court in his
former role as state attorney general
(Related: TX
AG Greg Abbott: Gay marriage ban promotes “responsible
procreation.”)
On Thursday, two Austin women became
the first gay couple to marry in the state after they received a
marriage license in Travis County.
Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked
the Texas Supreme Court to void the couple's marriage license.
(Related: Ken
Paxton asks Texas Supreme court to void lesbian couple's marriage
license.)