A Texas Senate panel on Wednesday
approved a bill which seeks to repeal the state's law making gay sex
a crime.
According to gay weekly the Dallas
Voice, the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice advanced the
measure sponsored by Democratic Senator Jose Rodriguez with a 5-0
vote.
Similar laws remains on the books in 14
states despite a 2003 Supreme Court ruling which declared Texas'
sodomy law to be unconstitutional in Lawrence v. Texas.
“Today's action is the first time the
repeal legislation has ever been advanced by a Texas legislative
committee subsequent to Lawrence v. Texas,” said Equality
Texas, the state's largest gay rights advocate.
Representatives from Equality Texas and
the State Bar of Texas testified before the committee in favor of the
bill.
The measure seeks to repeal the state's
unconstitutional “Homosexual Conduct” law and amend the Health
and Safety Code to delete the statement that “homosexual conduct is
not an acceptable lifestyle and is a criminal offense under … the
Penal Code.”
Two Republicans joined three Democrats
to advance the bill to the full Senate.