• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Film/TV/Stream
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Tech/Science
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH
  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez
  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

Texas Could ‘End Up Paying Through The Nose’ For Resisting SCOTUS Gay Marriage Ruling

John Wright August 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

StoneHoskins

The state of Texas is facing not one but two likely lawsuits for failing to issue accurate vital records to same-sex couples in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.

And an attorney from Lambda Legal says he hopes the state ends up “paying through the nose” for resisting the high court’s ruling in favor of same-sex marriage.

Forty days after the decision, Texas officials say they still haven’t decided whether to update birth and death certificates for same-sex couples.

Daniel McNeel "Neel" Lane Jr., a partner in the San Antonio office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld

Neel Lane (right), who represented same-sex couples in the federal case challenging Texas’ marriage ban, says he plans to file another lawsuit today (Wednesday) on behalf of John Stone-Hoskins (above right), who’s seeking an accurate death certificate for his late husband, James Stone (above left). Stone passed away in January after he and Stone-Hoskins married in New Mexico last year. Now, Stone-Hoskins is dying from cancer. The Texas Observer reports:

“He has submitted everything necessary to issue the new death certificate, but [the agency] has not agreed to do so,” Lane wrote in an email to the state last month. “Mr. Stone-Hoskins is on borrowed time — his doctors expect him to live another 45 to 60 days. As you probably know, such projections are unreliable, and he may die at any time.”

Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Department of State Health Services, said in a statement last week that more than a month after the high court’s ruling, officials still hadn’t decided whether to update birth and death certificates.

“We are reviewing the Supreme Court decision to determine whether changes need to be made to vital records documents,” Van Deusen said. “This involves taking a broad look at a variety of forms and vital records. Our attorneys are working with the [attorney general’s] office on the analysis. We hope to finish the analysis in the coming weeks. Once we complete that analysis, we would make any necessary changes as soon as possible.”

UptonMeanwhile, Lambda Legal’s Ken Upton Jr. (right) plans to file a lawsuit on behalf of same-sex couples who are seeking accurate birth certificates for their adopted children. Under current Texas law, supplemental birth certificates issued to adopted parents must contain the name of one man, the father, and one woman, the mother.

From the Observer:

“I don’t understand what they are thinking,” said Ken Upton Jr., senior counsel for the LGBT civil rights group Lambda Legal. “One of the cases consolidated before [the Supreme Court] was a birth certificate case and one was a death certificate case. How can they not think this was resolved?” …

“I hope the vital statistics people end up paying through the nose for this nonsense,” Upton said. “If they make us sue them, it is not going to be cheap for them.”

Topics: Health, Supreme Court, towleroad More Posts About: Austin, Dallas, gay marriage, houston, Ken Upton, Lambda Legal, Neel Lane, Texas

Related Posts
  • Texas Republicans’ Platform Calls Your LGBTQ Life an “Abnormal Lifestyle Choice”; Declares Biden Election Illegitimate, Despite Evidence;
  • Former Roommate Indicted For Murder Of Florida LGBTQ Activist Jorge Diaz-Johnston, One of the Public Faces In State Fight For Marriage Equality
  • Alabama Sued In Federal Court By Families, Doctors After Anti-Trans Healthcare Bill Signed Into Law
  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Jonathan Knight has married his boyfriend Harley Rodriguez. The New Kids on the Block star has confirmed he’s a married man after tying the knot with his longtime partner in secret …Read More »
  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Published by Reuters By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican hopes of taking control of the U.S. Senate in November could hinge on former football star Herschel Walker, a first-time candidate endorsed by Donald Trump, whose …Read More »
  • The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    Published by OK Magazine mega August 31 marks the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic death — and her only brother, Charles, proudly spoke out about his sister! “I’m always surprised by how difficult August 31 …Read More »
  • U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Justice Department on Wednesday released under court order all of a 2019 memo https://www.justice.gov/file/1528466/download in which two top officials advised then-Attorney General William Barr not to …Read More »
Previous Post: « Ryan Reynolds Is Suited Up And Full of Sarcasm in First ‘Deadpool’ Trailer – WATCH
Next Post: Meet the Men of the Paris Opera Ballet: PHOTOS »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Contently Stroll Hand-In-Hand As Donald Trump’s Legal Woes Mount

    Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Contently Stroll Hand-In-Hand As Donald Trump’s Legal Woes Mount

  • Biden to hold first political rally in run-up to November elections

    Biden to hold first political rally in run-up to November elections

  • Trump has displayed ‘anxiety in private conversations’ following Mar-a-Lago search: report

    Trump has displayed ‘anxiety in private conversations’ following Mar-a-Lago search: report

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y’know

  • Duke and Duchess of Sussex adopt new rescue dog

    Duke and Duchess of Sussex adopt new rescue dog

  • Vanessa Bryant awarded 16m in damages over helicopter crash photos

    Vanessa Bryant awarded 16m in damages over helicopter crash photos

  • Lisa Scott-Lee recalls surreal dinner date with Michael Jackson

    Lisa Scott-Lee recalls surreal dinner date with Michael Jackson

RSS Partner Links

  • An error has occurred, which probably means the feed is down. Try again later.

Most Recent

  • Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH

    Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH

  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

  • The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

  • U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

  • William Orbit: ‘Queen loves DJs as long as they end sets with National Anthem’

    William Orbit: ‘Queen loves DJs as long as they end sets with National Anthem’

  • Sir Rod Stewart takes another cheeky dig at his long-time pal Sir Elton John with stage mockery

    Sir Rod Stewart takes another cheeky dig at his long-time pal Sir Elton John with stage mockery

  • Scott Maxwell: Marco Rubio says his campaign is ‘a disaster.’ Is he crying wolf or truly scared of Demings?

    Scott Maxwell: Marco Rubio says his campaign is ‘a disaster.’ Is he crying wolf or truly scared of Demings?

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2025 · Log in

×