Deputy County Clerk Tanisha Johnson, right, talks to Mark “Major” Jiminez, left, and Mike Montalvo after they applied for a marriage license at the Dallas County Records Building on Thursday. Montalvo was acting as a proxy for Jiminez’s husband, Beau Chandler. (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)
No one was arrested at today’s Valentine’s Day marriage counter protest at the Dallas County Records Building, one of many across the country coordinated by GetEQUAL.
Mark “Major” Jiminez applied for a license in Dallas with Mike Montalvo stepping in as a proxy for Jiminez’s husband, Beau Chandler.
Last year, Chandler was arrested once and Jiminez twice when they were turned down for licenses and refused to leave the building.
Dawn Knowlton said she came to the records building because it’s a cause she believes in.
“It’s only right,” she said. “Equality for all, not for some.”
Twice as many sheriff’s deputies as protesters were on hand, along with Detective Laura Martin, Dallas police LGBT liaison. Before entering the building, Martin briefed the deputies that the protest was expected to be peaceful with no arrests.
After Jiminez and Montalvo filled out the online form in the marriage license office, Deputy County Clerk Tanesha Johnson turned down the application.
“The state of Texas does not allow same-sex marriage,” she told Jiminez and Montalvo.
Jiminez told her the U.S. Supreme Court will hear two marriage equality cases in March and a decision could be made in June.
Johnson looked at the application and noticed Jiminez and Chandler both had July birthdays.
“Unfortunately, it can’t be a Valentine’s gift, but maybe it can be a birthday gift in July,” she said.
