TX-Gov: Greg Abbott (R) Claims It Doesn't Matter If Gay Marriage Benefits Children

Prick:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...

Texas Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott argued in the state's Friday brief defending the gay marriage ban that it does not matter how the ban actually impacts children.

Abbott wrote that as long as it's rational to believe that a law will further the state's interests, it does not matter if it actually does. He said that the same-sex marriage ban furthers the state's interest in encouraging couples of the opposite sex to have children.

"It is rational to believe that opposite-sex marriages will generate new offspring to a greater extent than same-sex marriages will," he wrote.

He said the state also wants to keep individuals from having kids out of wedlock, which he also believes a gay marriage ban will further. - TPM, 10/14/14

Here's a little more info:

http://thinkprogress.org/...

Abbott offers two State interests for the law banning same-sex couples from marrying. The first is that marriage will encourage opposite-sex couples to produce new off-spring, which he argues meets the standard because “it is rational to believe that opposite-sex marriages will generate new offspring to a greater extent than same-sex marriages will.” Secondly, the State is interested in “reducing unplanned out-of-wedlock births.” Because same-sex couples do not accidentally get pregnant, “one could rationally believe that opposite-sex marriages will do more to advance” this interest than same-sex marriage will.

Countering the point that same-sex marriage could benefit the children of same-sex couples, Abbott blatantly admits that for the purposes of defending Texas’ law, that’s irrelevant. “It does not matter under rational-basis review whether same-sex marriage will produce societal benefits,” the brief reads. Instead, all that matters is if opposite-sex marriage does more to reduce unplanned out-of-wedlock births and encourage new offspring.

Abbott goes on to suggest that it also doesn’t matter whether same-sex couples will help by adopting the children who are born out of wedlock, because “it does not change the fact that same-sex marriage fails to advance the State’s interest in reducing unplanned out-of-wedlock births.” Ensuring children are born into married families seems to be a goal related to the welfare of children, but the State is simultaneously arguing that the marriage ban’s consequences for children are not a concern — at least not when it comes to whether the law should be upheld. The federal district judge who ruled against the ban earlier this year contended that it only hurt the children of same-sex couples. - Think Progress, 10/14/14

Wendy Davis (D. TX) supports marriage equality, FYI. That's not the only asshole remark Abbott made recently:

http://www.politicususa.com/...

Democratic Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis is calling on her Republican opponent Greg Abbott to apologize as a backlashing is growing after a top Abbott advisor referred to people with disabilities as, “props.”

The Abbott campaign went insane after Lamar White Jr., a law student who has cerebral palsy, spoke at a press conference in support of Davis. According to the Austin-American Statesman, ‘After horrendous wheelchair attack ad, Wendy Davis uses disabled people as props,’ David Carney, a top Abbott adviser, tweeted about Monday’s news conference.”

While trying to use Greg Abbott’s disability to attack Wendy Davis, Republicans leveled a vicious slur against all Americans with disabilities. Wendy Davis responded by demanding an apology, “Greg Abbott needs to apologize for the disgusting attacks on the disabled community by his top campaign staff. They can criticize me all they want. However, referring to a brave young man with cerebral palsy as a “prop” in order to dismiss his views about Greg Abbott’s hypocrisy of suing a homeowner for a multi-million dollar settlement while denying that same opportunity to rape survivors and paralyzed patients is out-of-bounds.”

Beyond the tweet, Abbott’s campaign and supporters have been trying to discredit Mr. White by claiming that he was not disabled enough to speak in support of Davis. The idea of a ranking scale for individuals with disabilities is as insulting as it oppressive. Individuals such as Greg Abbott can still operate a motor vehicle, but many individuals Cerebral Palsy and other neurological conditions can not, because there is more to disability than physical mobility. Just because a person can stand up or move under their power does not mean that they are less disabled than a person in a wheelchair. - Politicus USA, 10/14/14

Click here to donate and get involved with Davis' campaign:
http://www.wendydavistexas.com/