Global InformationMarriage of Billie Ert and Antonio Molina information
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The marriage of Billie Ert and Antonio Molina took place on October 5, 1972, in Houston, Texas, United States. Ert and Molina's marriage was called the first legal same-sex marriage in Texas and one of the first in the U.S., and their marriage license was the first granted to a same-sex couple in Texas. Ert, a drag queen, and Molina, a shipping clerk, received the license through having Ert dress in drag; the county clerk's office did not ask for their sexes and issued them a marriage license, which they used to marry one day later. At that time, homosexuality was illegal in Texas. Although it was later declared null and void by the Texas Attorney General after a long legal battle, the union made international headlines and became a media sensation. The failed lawsuit sparked Texas legislation that specifically defined marriage as between a man and a woman, which it had not yet done, and was seen as a large setback for LGBT rights in the United States.