The ruling this week calling Texas' ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional prompted plenty of reaction from politicos.
One of the lesser-known politicians to sound off: Dana DeBeauvoir. As Travis County Clerk, she's decidedly downballot of the state's top races. But DeBeauvoir is also uniquely affected by the decision, since the county clerk's office is responsible for issuing marriage licenses in Austin and Travis County.
When the ruling was announced, DeBeauvoir offered a ringing endorsement:
“Because of the stay order in the ruling, the County Clerk cannot issue marriage licenses to gay couples at this time. This is a joyous day, but we will have to wait a little longer to actually deliver the justice and equal rights gay couples so deserve.”
The statement is available on DeBeauvoir's website, under a title reading "One Step Closer to Marriage Equality."
"My office would be thrilled if we could offer marriage licenses equally to all couples," DeBeauvoir says. Indeed, she notes her officer has had a domestic partnership registry for 25 years – the only county in the state to offer such a service.
This isn't the first time DeBeauvoir has offered her opinion on same-sex marriage. During a 2012 Valentine's Day protest of Texas' gay marriage ban, DeBeauvoir apologized to protestors who sought to marry their partners. "I’m sorry, and perhaps in the future I will be able to issue a marriage license to same-gender couples so that you can enjoy the same civil rights that other couples have," she said.
It's a sentiment DeBeauvoir echoes today – and she predicts she won't have to wait very much longer.
"We have to wait for the appellate process to work its way through the courts," DeBeauvoir says. "And I am confident that in a while – perhaps a year from now – we will be issuing marriage licenses, and gay couples will get the civil rights they’re entitled to."
