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Texas Denying Driver's Licenses To Gay Married Couples

Some homosexuals have been denied a Texas driver's license because they took their same-sex spouse's name and the Department of Public Safety won't recognize documents reflecting the name change.

DPS won't accept out-of-state marriage licenses or other documents reflecting the change. The Dallas Morning News reports virtually the only way DPS will issue a driver's license is to provide a Texas court order approving a name change or a U.S. passport with the new surname.

DPS spokesman Tom Vinger says the agency must adhere to a 2005 amendment to the state constitution barring recognition of same-sex marriage.

But the DPS rules also highlight how Texas has resisted a growing acceptance of gay marriage found elsewhere in the U.S.

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