Early Thursday morning, Austin City Council voted on a resolution to support marriage equality in the state of Texas, a resolution sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole and co-sponsored by Mayor Lee Leffingwell.
The Council voted unanimously in favor of the resolution, making Austin the first city in the Lone Star State to take this official stance.
"We have a robust and diverse LGBT community in Austin and I am proud to stand with them and defend their right to equal marriage."
Members of civil rights groups like Equality Texas, the Anti-Defamation League, the Human Rights Campaign, the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the NAACP and allgo were present to witness the major decision that has been decades in the making.
"Passage of this resolution will send the message to state and national leaders that Austin is a community that values equality for all it citizens," the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement.
"We have a robust and diverse LGBT community in Austin and I am proud to stand with them and defend their right to equal marriage,” Leffingwell said. “The tide is changing in America and I hope that by joining this loud chorus, our city can play a significant role in helping set us on a path to full marriage equality in our country in my lifetime.”
At least we got one city in Texas on board. Now what are the chances that any other cities might be able to join the movement? It's a long, uphill battle for sure, but right about now, the national focus is definitely on our little island of blue in the sea of all the red.
