The Texas man seeking a divorce from
his estranged husband said Sunday that the gay community rebuffed
him.
Appearing on ABC's Good Morning America
Weekend, the man, identified only as J.B., said, “Some of the
greatest negative feedback that I've gotten has been from the gay
and lesbian community. The legal community in the gay and lesbian
community specifically.”
Texas District Judge Tena Callahan
ruled Thursday that the two men married in Massachusetts may divorce
in the state. The ruling was quickly criticized by conservative
Republicans who support the state's constitutional ban on gay
marriage approved by voters in 2005.
“The laws and constitution of the
State of Texas define marriage as an institution involving one man
and one woman,” Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said in a
statement. “Today's ruling purports to strike down that
constitutional definition – despite the fact that it was recently
adopted by 75 percent of Texas voters.”
Governor Rick Perry, who supports the
ban, called the ruling “flawed.” Abbott said he would appeal the
ruling “to defend the traditional definition of marriage.”
J.B. appeared on the program with his
lawyer, Dallas attorney Peter Schulte. Schulte blasted the attorney
general for politicizing the situation.
“It's funny that the only individual
that has made this a test case is the attorney general of Texas,”
Schulte said. “And you know, when we filed this divorce, we didn't
have a press conference on the courthouse steps.”
“This is not about gay marriage, this
is about gay divorce,” Schulte added.
But the case is being hailed by gay
rights groups because in order for the state to dissolve a marriage
it must first recognize it. In her ruling, Judge Callahan said the
state's ban on gay marriage violates the U.S. Constitution.
When co-anchor Bill Weir asked if the
men celebrated the ruling, J.B. replied, “I don't think the end of
anyone's marriage can be celebrated as a victory.” The couple
married in Massachusetts in September 2006 after being together
nearly 9 years.