March 10, 2015
Despite the rising tide of acceptance in the rest of the United States, Texas is a holdout for legislators who are staunchly opposed to same-sex marriage. The argument they lean on is that same-sex marriage destroys the most basic building block of society: the family. But in the case of Texans Nicole Dimetman and Cleopatra De Leon, the ridiculousness of Texas’ legislators’ argument is unmasked. Nicole’s and Cleopatra’s greatest desire is to be a loving and productive family, recognized by their state as both of their children’s legal parents.
“This isn’t an abstract argument; these are real issues affecting real people, right now. All we really want is to live the very best lives we can.”
Today’s link offers a glimpse into Nicole’s and Cleo’s love story, as well as some unnerving episodes they have faced, including convincing a case worker that it was in their children’s best interests to have two parents, even if they were lesbians. It also offers a sordid history of Texas’ opposition to same-sex marriages but ends with an encouraging account of recent court activity.
The featured article by Pamela Colloff is a lengthy one from Texas Monthly, but reading every word is worth the time. Trust us!
Read “To Love and to Cherish” from the March 2015 issue of Texas Monthly here.
