'Today, we made history': Texas House votes to repeal 'homosexual conduct' ban
The Texas House of Representatives has given initial approval to repeal a nonfunctioning "homosexual conduct" ban. This move comes over two decades after the U.S. Supreme Court found the ban unconstitutional in Lawrence v. Texas.
The Texas House voted 72-55 on Thursday to preliminarily pass House Bill 1738. The proposed legislation would remove a 1973 law prohibiting "deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex." The largely Democrat-backed bill also received support from 12 Republicans.
House Bill 1738 is expected to pass a final vote on Friday before heading to the Senate.
Rep. Venton Jones, a Democrat, authored the bill as one of the first Black gay members of the Texas House. He highlighted the significance of the chamber's approval, writing on social media, "Today, we made history in the Texas House."
"Working on this bill has been a one step at a time process, for so long," Jones said. "I am standing on the shoulders of people who have carried this bill before me, and that's where I get my strength."
Standing on the House floor Thursday, Jones urged fellow lawmakers to vote not based on their opinion of the Lawrence v. Texas decision but "on a law that strengthens the fundamental civil liberties and individual freedoms that all Texans deserve."
"I'm asking you to vote for a law that upholds the principles that Texans should have the freedom and ability to make their own private decisions without unwarranted government interference."
Rep. Brian Harrison, considered one of the most conservative Republicans in the Texas House, signed on as a co-author to demonstrate his support of the bill. As he spoke on the floor, he named other staunch conservatives like U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who have previously expressed support for the repeal.
"I plan to do today exactly what Justice Clarence Thomas said that he would do if he were a member of the Texas Legislature, and I plan to vote 'yes' on this bill," Harrison said in closing.
— The Texas Tribune contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas House votes to repeal 1973 'homosexual conduct' ban
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