Speech by Texas State Rep. Senofria Thompson (D-Houston)>>>

"I have been a member of this august body for three decades, and today>> is one of the all-time low points. We are going in the wrong> direction,> in the direction of hate and fear and discrimination. Members, we all> know what this is about; this is the politics of divisiveness at its> worst, a wedge issue that is meant to divide.>> Members, this issue is a distraction from the real things we need to> be> working on. At the end of this session, this Legislature, this> Leadership will not be able to deliver the people of Texas,> fundamental> and fair answers to the pressing issues of our day.>> Let's look at what this amendment does not do: It does not give one> Texas citizen meaningful tax relief. It does not reform or fully fund> our education system. It does not restore one child to CHIP, who was> cut from health insurance last session. It does not put one dime into> raising Texas' Third World access to health care. It does not do one> thing to care for or protect one elderly person or one child in this> state. In fact, it does not even do anything to protect one marriage.>> Members, this bill is about hate and fear and discrimination. I know> something about hate and fear and discrimination. When I was a small> girl, white folks used to talk about "protecting the institution of> marriage" as well. What they meant was if people of my color tried to> marry people of Mr. Chisum's color, you'd often find the people of my> color hanging from a tree. That's what the white folks did back then> to> "protect marriage." Fifty years ago, white folks thought inter-racial> marriages were a "threat to the institution of marriage.">> Members, I'm> a Christian and a proud Christian. I read the good book, and do my> best> to live by it. I have never read the verse where it says, "gay people> can't marry." I have never read the verse where it says, "thou shalt> discriminate against those not like me." I have never read the verse> where it says, "let's base our public policy on hate and fear and> discrimination." Christianity to me is love and hope and faith and> forgiveness-- not hate and discrimination.>> I have served in this body a lot of years-- and I have seen a lot of> promises broken. I should be up here demanding my 40 acres and a mule> because that's another promise you broke. You used a wealthy white> minister cloaked in the cloth to ease the stench of that form of> discrimination.>> So, now that blacks and women can vote, and now that blacks and women> have equal rights-- you turn your hatred to homosexuals-- and you> still> use your misguided reading of the Bible to justify your hatred. You> want to pass this ridiculous amendment so you can go home and brag--> brag about what? Declare that you saved the people of Texas from what?>> Persons of the same sex cannot get married in this State now. Texas> does not now recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions, religious> unions, domestic partnerships, contractual arrangements or Christian> blessings entered into in this State-- or anywhere else on this planet>> Earth.>> If you want to make your hateful political statements then that is one>> thing-- the Chisum amendment does real harm. It repeals the contracts> that many single people have paid thousands of dollars to purchase to> obtain medical powers of attorney, powers of attorney, hospital> visitation, joint ownership and support agreements. You have lost your>> way-- this is obscene.>> Today, you are playing to the lowest common denominator-- you are> putting aside the real issues of substance that we need to address so> that you can instead play on the public's fears and prejudices to> deceive and manipulate voters into thinking that we have done> something> important.>> I realize that gay rights are not the same as civil rights-- but I can>> guarantee you we are going in the wrong direction. I can not hide my> skin color. In fact, in most of the South, people as pink as Rep.> Wayne> Smith were still Black by law if they had a great grandparent who was> African. I was unable to attend an integrated and equally funded> school> until I got my Master of Laws degree. There were separate and unequal> facilities for nearly everything.>> I got second-hand textbooks even worse than the kind you're trying to> pass off on every public school student next year. I had to ride to> school on the back of the bus. I had to quench my thirst from filthy> coloreds-only drinking fountains. I had to enter restaurants from the> kitchen door. I was banned from entering most public accommodations,> even from serving on a jury. I had to live with the fear that getting> too uppity could get you killed --- or worse. I know what third-class> citizenship feels like. In my first term, one of my colleagues walked> up and down this aisle muttering about how Nigras should be back in> the> field picking cotton instead of picking out committees.>> So, I have to wonder about Rep. Chisum's 3/5 of a person amendment.> Some of you folks hid behind your Bible then, too, to justify your> cultural prejudices, your denial of liberty, and your gunpoint robbery>> of human dignity.>> We have worked hard at putting our prejudices against homosexuals in> law. We have denied them basic job protections. We have denied them> and> their children freedom from bullying and harassment at school. We have>> tried to criminalize their very existence. But, we have also absolved> them of all family duties and responsibilities: to care for and> support> their spouses and children, to count their family's assets in> determining public assistance, to obtain health insurance for> dependents, to make end-of-life or necessary medical decisions for> their life partners--- sometimes even to visit in the hospital, even> to> defend our own country. And then, we can stand on our two hind legs> and> proclaim, "See, I told you homosexual families are unstable." And> nearly every one of you on this Floor has a homosexual in their> extended families.>> Some of you have shunned and isolated these family members. Some of> you, even some of the joint coauthors, have embraced them within your> own family for the essence of Christianity is love. Yet,you are now> poised to constitutionalize discrimination against a particular class> of people. I thought we would be debating real issues: education,> health care for kids, teacher's health insurance, health care for the> elderly, protecting survivors of sexual assault, protecting the> pensions of seniors in nursing homes.>> I thought we would be debating> economic development, property tax relief, protecting seniors pensions>> and stem cell research, to save lives of Texans who are waiting for a> more abundant life. Instead we are wasting this body's time with this> political stunt that is nothing more than constitutionalizing> discrimination. The prejudices exhibited by members of this body> disgust me.>> Last week, Republicans used a political wedge issue to pull kids--> sweet> little vulnerable kids-- out of the homes of loving parents and put> them> back in a state orphanage just because those parents are gay. That's> disgusting. Today, we are telling homosexuals that just like people of>> my ilk, when I was a small child; they too are second class citizens.>> I have listened to all the arguments. I have listened to all of the> crap.> Mr. Chisum, is a person who I consider my good friend and revere. But,>> I want you to know that this amendment is blowing smoke to fuel the> hell-fire flames of bigotry.>> You are trying to protect your constituents from danger. This> amendment> is a CYB amendment for you to go home and talk about.">>>