Nikki's Marriage Case End Game Today

Ever since the Texas Supreme Court denied Heather Delgado's appeal back in September, Nikki Araguz Loyd has been on after six years of fighting this soon to be successful war to recognize her humanity and her marriage to Thomas Araguz III a slow glide path to victory.

The case has been sent back down to the Wharton, TX courtroom of GOP judge Randy Clapp, who has been ordered to reverse his original loud, wrong and partisan order by the TX appeals court.

Later today, Araguz Loyd will be arriving at the Wharton County courthouse 90 miles southwest of Houston at 1:30 PM CST for what she hopes will be a routine receipt of a signed order ending the longstanding landmark trans marriage battle.

And while she is happy that this legal war to recognize her marriage to Capt. Araguz has had a successful conclusion, she is still wary. 

She says “I am elated this is going to be the end, I am only hoping that it will be easy, smooth and uneventful. However, my case is all about irony and I never count my chickens before they hatch. I only hope, this is the end, and I can ride off into the sunset with my Prince Charming.”

She and husband William Loyd will cap off what we hope will be a triumphant day for her by honoring and celebrating at the Transgender March Of Resilience, which will be begin at 6 PM CST at the Houston Zoo entrance.

Congratulations Nikki!  Thanks for fighting to not only have your marriage and humanity recognized, but by extension, the humanity and ability to love and marry our desired partners for all trans people in Texas.

Joanne Cassar Honored In Malta

I've documented in these electronic pages the seven year long battle of girl like us Joanne Cassar to have her right to marry recognized by a Maltese government that fought her every step of the way. 

It was a fight that eventually ended up in the European Court of Human Rights, became an election issue in the March  2013 Maltese national elections and with the change of government ended in her favor.

The new Labour government as part of the ECHR case settlement with Cassar introduced legislative changes in Maltese law that recognizes the full human rights of a trans person in the gender they transition to, including the right to marry. 

December 13 was Republic Day in Malta, the day in 1974 that substantial constitutional changes occurred that transformed the former British colony to an independent nation.   On that day Maltese citizens are given Republic Day Honours for their contributions to Maltese society, and this year's group of Gieh ir Repubblika recipients includes Joanne Cassar.

Joanne Cassar was honored for her perseverance since 2006 in this marriage fight, which resulted in not only a personal victory for her, but in the process made Malta a fairer society.

Congratulations Joanne on this well deserved honor and your battle that not only was a victory for you and other Maltese trans people, but will possibly have an impact on the rest of the world when it comes to trans marriage rights cases

I Repeat, You Can't Declare War On Love

"You can't declare war on love." --Number Six, Battlestar Galactica 'The Plan'

Three years ago I wrote a Battlestar Galatica  themed post in which I compared the marriage equality fight to my fave sci-fi show. 

I noted in that post that the Religious Right can't deal with people of the same gender or trans people falling in love and getting married and for specious political and religious reasons they want to prevent that by any means necessary.

They basically declared war on love.   And they are now three years after I wrote the post are conceding they are losing the 'War on Love' they started. 

More Americans support same gender marriage now than when I wrote that post in August 2010.  President Obama on May 9, 2012 became the first sitting president to publicly support legalizing same-sex marriage. Maine, Maryland and Minnesota legalized it through a popular vote in November 2012.  The New Mexico Supreme Court will have a hearing on the issue Wednesday, and Hawaii's Governor Neil Abercrombie (D) has called a special session that starts October 28 in which they will attempt to pass a marriage equality bill.  

To add an exclamation point on the positive momentum for marriage equality, New Jersey on Monday became the 14th state in addition to the District of Columbia to allow same gender people to marry.

And in the wake of the SCOTUS rulings overturning DOMA and Prop 8  there are suits being filed in deep red GOP controlled states to overturn their anti-same sex marriage amendments.



On the trans marriage front two of our three signature international marriage cases have gone our way with Joanne Cassar in Malta and Ms W in Hong Kong emerging victorious after a few setbacks, and us Texas transpeeps awaiting the result of Nikki Araguz Loyd's recent appeal in Corpus Christi.

The conservafools still haven't come to grips with the reality of 'you can't declare war on love', are clueless to the fact they on the wrong side of history and still keep fighting the 'War on Love' they will ultimately lose. 

I can say that with confidence because the moral arc of the universe is bending toward justice for the SGL, trans and bi community on this issue.  We're also just as resolute to keep fighting them on this human rights issue until we can't or until victory is assured.