well, the reason texas won't recognize a same sex marriage is because it is a federal mandate, not a local one...it was a a local event here in houston where a firefighter died while on duty here, and his second marriage he married a sex change person, a man turned into a woman. the big court battle was over his benefits as a firefighter, the he-she wanted it, while everyone else was saying it should go to his children from his first marriage. after all was said and done in court, they ruled that everything goes his children, because same sex marrages are illegal, and that nulled the marriage. i think that was they way to go, because his kids were is blood relatives, and deserved it more.