Texas' 'LGBTQ+' Chief Justice-Elect Vows to End Religious Accommodation for Judges Refusing Same-Sex Weddings
Ellis said the rule amounts to back-door discrimination and would need support from Republican justices to change it.
- On Tuesday, Chief Justice-elect Maggie Ellis, a Democrat who identifies as "openly LGBTQ+," announced plans to eliminate a religious accommodation allowing Texas judges to decline same-sex wedding ceremonies after defeating Republican Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock last week.
- The policy, established in October 2025, allows judges to opt out of ceremonies citing a "sincerely held religious belief" and stemmed from a high-profile controversy involving Waco Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley, a Christian judge.
- Ellis told The Dallas Morning News she wants judges to "perform all marriages, or none," describing the existing accommodation as "back-door discrimination" and viewing it as an "attack on our community and our Constitution."
- First Liberty Institute, which represented Hensley, criticized the proposal and vowed to defend any judge impacted by changes, with President and CEO Kelly Shackelford warning of a "looming fight over religious liberty."
- Republicans will retain a 5-4 majority on the high court when Ellis takes office in January 2027, requiring the incoming chief justice to secure cooperation from Republican colleagues to successfully revise the judicial code.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Texas Chief Justice-Elect Takes Aim at Christian Judges Over Same-Sex Marriage - Charisma Magazine Online
A new battle over religious freedom is brewing in Texas, and this time, the fight is coming from the very top of the state’s judicial system. Following the 2026 midterm elections, incoming Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Maggie Ellis is setting her sights on eliminating protections for judges who decline to officiate same-sex weddings because […]
The Dallas Express News
wbap.comTexas’ Next Chief Justice Targets Judges’ Religious Opt-Out For Same-Sex Weddings
Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice-elect Maggie Ellis (D-Texas) wants to end the religious accommodation for judges who decline to perform same-sex weddings. All five returning Republicans signed the order establishing the protection. Ellis defeated Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock (R-Texas) on November 3 as Democrats won all four seats on the ballot. She needs Republican support to change the rule. The returning justices are Debra Lehrmann, John De…
LGBTQ Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice-Elect: Undo Ruling Allowing Judges To Refuse Same-Sex Weddings
The Dallas Morning News reports: Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice-elect Maggie Ellis wants to amend a rule allowing judges to refuse to perform weddings on religious grounds, setting up an early test of her ability to reshape the court. Ellis, a Democrat, told The Dallas Morning News she wants to ensure judges who officiate weddings … The post LGBTQ Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice-Elect: Undo Ruling Allowing Judges To Refuse Same-Sex Weddings…
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