Texas lawmaker Venton Jones proposes to partner in State Capitol
Texas state representative Venton Jones proposed to his partner on the House floor. (X/@VentonJonesTX)
Texas state representative Venton Jones has proposed to his partner on the opening day of the state’s legislative session.
Following his swearing-in ceremony on the Texas house floor on Tuesday (14 January), Jones went down on one knee to ask long-time partner Gregory Scott Jr to marry him.
There were cheers in the chamber as Scott nodded his head in acceptance. “Put a ring on it,” one person was heard to shout.
‘Love conquers all’
“In a time when our love and very existence are challenge, often in the hall of this very building, this moment is a reminder that love conquers all,” Jones said. “Gregory and I stand as proof that progress is unstoppable, and no amount of hate can erase the truth of who we are.”
Taking to X/Twitter, he captioned a video of the moment: “He said yes!” The clip has been liked more than 50,000 times.
Jones, who is now in his second term, said he had renewed his oath to serve his community while making a new commitment “to the person who has stood beside me through every step of this journey,” The Dallas Morning News reported.
At the end of last year, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton took aim at the trans community by suing a sports organisation for its commitment to transgender rights. Some nine months before that, he demanded the personal information of members of LGBTQ+ groups.
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