Houston Mayor Annise Parker says she
would like to marry her partner of 23 years in Texas while she is
young enough to know who she is marrying.
Parker, who is serving her third and
final term as mayor, and her domestic partner, Kathy Hubbard, have
two adopted daughters, Daniela and Marquitta, and one foster son,
Jovon Tyler.
Recently, the city announced it would
extend benefits to the spouses of gay city employees. A city charter
amendment approved by voters in 2001 prohibits the city from
extending benefits to domestic partners, limiting dependents to
“legal spouses.”
“The reason that I'm able to
recognize spousal benefits is the language in the charter is very
specific and it says that … Actually, I think they wrote it at a
time when no one anticipated that there would ever be legal marriage
for same-sex couples. And so the language says that I can only offer
health and other benefits to legal spouses, and I can't offer
domestic partner benefits,” Parker said.
“I am in a 23 year domestic partner
relationship and I've been looking forward to the opportunity in the
state of Texas to marry her,” Parker said. “May get tired of
waiting, if it goes on too long. I want to be young enough to
actually know who I'm marrying when I do it.”
Parker added that she believes gay
couples will only gain the right to marry in Texas through a Supreme
Court decision. (The video is embedded on this page. Visit
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