Tennessee Marriage Laws Upheld as Constitutional
One Man, One Woman Marriage is ‘Best’
August 12, 2014 – A judge in Tennessee has upheld its state’s marriage laws defining marriage as between one man and one woman. The case dealt with a homosexual couple that ‘married’ in another state and was seeking a divorce in Tennessee, despite Tennessee laws not recognizing same-sex ‘marriage.’ A similar case has also been heard at the Texas Supreme Court and is awaiting a decision. In the strongly worded decision, Judge Russell Simmons stated that the ongoing battle over marriage is about “…what unions are included in the definition of marriage. The Legislative Branch of Tennessee and the voters of Tennessee said the definition of marriage should be as it always has been. That man’s best definition of marriage will always be the union of one man and one woman.”
The judge further stated:
“The Court also finds that this should be the prerogative of each State. That neither the Federal government nor another state should be allowed to dictate to Tennessee what has traditionally been a state’s responsibility, which is to provide a framework of laws to govern the safety and wellbeing of its citizens.”
Texas Values president, Jonathan Saenz, released the following on the decision:
“We applaud Judge Simmons for following the law and respecting marriage as the union of one man and one woman overwhelming supported by voters and the legislature of Tennessee. The Federal government and activist judges have no authority to redefine marriage in Tennessee, Texas, or any other state. It should continue to be a state’s right to recognize the ‘best definition of marriage’ and affirm the unique good that a Mom and Dad play in a child’s life. We will continue to proudly stand for what’s right, no matter how hard the federal government and the out-of-control judiciary tries to redefine marriage against the will of the people and states.”
Texas Values recently launched the Texas Marriage Declaration and thousands of Texans have declared their support for marriage and for Texas’ right to self-governance. The state of Texas is currently appealing a recent decision by a lone Federal Judge to strike down the states’ marriage laws. More information on the Texas Marriage Declaration can be found at TexasMarriageDeclaration.com.
About Texas Values
Texas Values is a non-profit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at txvalues.org.