Partners Tying Knot Try Loophole In Texas Ceremony
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - When Mark Reed and Dante Walkup tied the knot last month in Texas, they found a loophole and made it legal.
"It was the most important, exciting day of my life," Reed said.
While their boots were firmly planted at the "W" hotel in Dallas, an officiate in the District of Columbia legalized their union through SKYPE.
"From a legal perspective, it's a bit gimmicky," Dallas gay rights attorney Rob Wiley said.
Though the marriage may be binding in D.C. and a handful of other states, Wiley said it still won't be recognized in Texas.
"That was a very heartfelt and moving wedding," Wiley said. "But in Texas, it's illegal, which in many ways is a real injustice. If one of those was in a car crash, his partner wouldn't have the right to see him or make medical decisions because of that marriage."
Reed and Walkup are also partners in a multi-million dollar lighting business. The two were used to big and bold creations. So, they said they decided to do the same thing with their wedding.
"We always do things in a big way," Walkup said.
But while they exchanged their vows, they said they also wanted to shed some light on their cause.
"When people see you've taken that extra time and effort and everything like that, it's a little more closer to commitment and promises and being legal," Walkup said.
How close that is, however, may be measured by the overwhelming vote against gay marriage in Texas in 2005. Erin Leu an attorney with the Liberty Institute said, "The people of Texas have already spoken on this Issue and they've spoken very clearly. 76 percent have decided that marriage is between only one male and one female."
The men created a video of their SKYPE ceremony with more background information on themselves and their cause. Click here to watch that.
