Texas senate postpones hearing on antigay amendment

Gay activists in Texas won a little breathing room Monday as a hearing on an antigay amendment to the state constitution was briefly postponed. The proposed amendment to the Texas state constitution would not only outlaw same-sex marriage, it would also preempt civil unions or other legal structures for same-sex couples in the future. The Texas house passed the measure with a vote to spare last month, and it now needs a super majority in the state senate in order to appear on the ballot next November. On Saturday senators sneaked a committee hearing on the amendment into the schedule for Monday morning, surprising activists who had not organized their witnesses. But a gay community ally, Rodney Ellis of Houston, used a parliamentary tactic to stall the hearing until Wednesday or Thursday. Although the session ends at the end of May, the delay is a reprieve, not a victory. Activists warn that there is still plenty of time for the amendment to reach the senate floor. (Ann Rostow, Advocate OutQ News)