Lesbian Dallas Judge Won't Marry Straight Couples

DALLAS, TEXAS—

A lesbian judge in Dallas says she won’t marry straight couples, because the same laws don’t apply to her. She says equality reigns in her court. Her remarks were caught on camera and they’re generating a lot of reaction.
“I have to the power, of course, to perform marriage ceremonies -- I don`t,” said Dallas County District Judge Tonya Parker.
Parker is a civil judge in Dallas County's 116th District Court. She says she wants to teach everyone a lesson in marriage equality. “I`m actually extraordinarily proud of Judge Parker,” said GetEQUAL Texas Dallas area Coordinator Daniel Cates. “Maybe she should be in a state where that works better for her,” said Dallas Tea Party member Katrina Pierson. It's comments posted to YouTube they're reacting too. They were made by Judge Parker Tuesday night during a meeting for Stonewall Democrats of Dallas.
“I`m sorry I don`t perform marriage ceremonies, because clearly the state does not have marriage equality and until it does I`m not going to partially apply the law to one group and not apply it to another group of people,” said Parker. “It doesn`t seem right for me to perform ceremonies for people that can`t be performed for me,” she said. Cates and Get EQUAL have been leading a charge to get Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to sign a marriage equality pledge. He welcomes Parker's stand.“As a judge, it is her job to uphold the constitution and just yesterday in San Francisco, a federal judge ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act and laws that discriminate against one group of people in marriage are in fact unconstitutional,” he said.
But some conservative groups see things differently. “You essentially have a judge who feels that she is discriminated against based upon her sexual orientation and therefore is abusing her power as a judge to discriminate against those she represents,” said Pierson.Texas law authorizes judges to perform marriages, it doesn't require it.  Pierson says to not do them based on your ideology is wrong.
“You have to wonder what other decisions are being made based upon your ideology,” she said

http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-lesbian-dallas-judge-wont-marry-straight-couples-20120223,0,450684.story