Texas Judge Still Suing After Refusing to Marry Gay Couples

One of the most well-known aspects of the Universal Life Church (ULC) is the ability of its ministers to officiate weddings. Combined with the relative ease of becoming a ULC minister, this makes it an obvious way for LGBTQ couples to marry with help from their friends and loved ones. The motto of the ULC, “We are one,” stresses inclusivity.

That being said, another non-religious individual is also legally capable of officiating weddings: A judge. Theoretically, a judge could officiate over an LGBTQ wedding – removing the involvement of religion altogether. However, judges are not required to officiate over weddings if they do not want to – and this conflict formed the basis of a recent lawsuit in Texas. 

Texas Judge Refuses to Drop Lawsuit After Being Sanctioned

In October 2024, a judge in Texas refused to drop a lawsuit after being sanctioned for refusing to officiate same-sex marriages. After she refused to perform these same-sex marriage ceremonies, she was publicly warned in 2019 by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. The commission argued that her refusal to participate in these ceremonies cast doubt on her impartiality as a judge. 

The Texas judge took a very different point of view. She argued that the sanction violated her rights – specifically citing the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The law states that the government cannot “substantially burden” the exercise of religious freedom – and this law extends to judges. 

After plenty of back-and-forth, the commission appeared to doubt the legal standing of its own argument. It ultimately withdrew its sanction in September of 2024 – assuming that this white flag would be enough to dissuade the judge from further action. 

It was not. The judge has refused to drop her lawsuit against the commission, and she argues that the lawsuit will help protect her rights if she faces similar challenges in the future. The commission’s own statement underlines this point. When they withdrew their sanction, they specifically said that they do not guarantee other judges will not face similar sanctions for refusing to officiate gay marriages in the future. 

In response, the commission’s lawyer argues that the judge is seeking a “license to discriminate.” All in all, this is a highly complex lawsuit that raises very difficult questions about religious freedom and discrimination in the United States. 

This is Why the Universal Life Church is So Popular for Weddings

Situations like these highlight the popularity of the Universal Life Church for weddings in the United States. Instead of asking a judge to officiate the wedding, a same-sex couple could simply ask a friend to become a minister of the ULC. This process is not complex, and it is free. More importantly, it is far more complex than suing a judge or a religious official for refusing to preside over your wedding. One has to wonder why this lawsuit even had to happen in the first place, seeing as there were so many alternatives for LGBTQ couples who wanted to marry in Texas. 

Keep Informed with the Universal Life Church

Each month, various cases test the nature of religious rights in this country. While the basis for many religious rights is the United States Constitution, there are still countless cases that question the exact nature of these rights. The Universal Life Church’s blog is focused on documenting the most noteworthy of these cases in an objective manner that can be easily understood by readers.