Lesbian Dallas Judge Takes Brave Stand for Gay Couples

Dallas County judge Tonya Parker says she will not marry heterosexual couples until Texas allows same-sex partners to wed.

Parker, who, in 2010, became the first openly lesbian county judge elected in Dallas, said it's “oxymoronic” to only be able to perform weddings for a certain group of people. The judge issued a statement on Thursday outlining her feelings.

“It’s kind of oxymoronic for me to perform ceremonies that can’t be performed for me, so I’m not going to do it,” Parker said in the statement. “I do not perform [marriages] because it is not an equal application of the law. Period.”

Performing marriages is not part of her actual duty — some judges choose to offer the service, sometimes for a fee. Parker says she now refers straight couples to other judges. Read more here.