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Protest Against Texas' Gay Marriage Ban Leads to Arrests

County clerk Dana DeBeauvoir addresses a same-sex couple seeking a marriage license this Valentine's Day.
Photo courtesy Kit O'Connell
County clerk Dana DeBeauvoir addresses a same-sex couple seeking a marriage license this Valentine's Day.

Three people were arrested today at the Travis County Clerk’s office while protesting Texas' prohibition on gay marriage. 

After numerous gay and lesbian couples applied for marriage licensees in protest, three activists locked arms and refused to leave, leading to their arrest.

The incident was one of several statewide actions coordinated by GetEqual TX this Valentine’s Day. “Our mission is to empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community and our allies to take bold action to demand full legal and social equality, and to hold accountable those who stand in the way,” the organization writes on its website. The protest also had local support from Occupy Austin.

News website The Raw Story has photos of the action, and documents a commitment ceremony one gay couple held outside the clerk’s office.

Video was also shot of county clerk Dana DeBeauvoir speaking to the protestors prior to their arrest. Although the audio is poor quality, DeBeauvoir can be heard saying “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.

Wells has been a part of KUT News since 2012, when he was hired as the station's first online reporter. He's currently the social media host and producer for Texas Standard, KUT's flagship news program. In between those gigs, he served as online editor for KUT, covering news in Austin, Central Texas and beyond.