Wife of Texas Anti-Gay Leader Divorced Him To Be With a Woman
Just months before Jonathan Saenz rose to the top of prominent anti-gay group Texas Values, his wife filed for divorce so she could be with another woman, Hays County district court records show, according to Lone Star Q.
The records show that Saenz's ex-wife, Corrine Morris Rodriguez Saenz, was dating another woman when she filed for divorce from Saenz in 2011. With the divorce still in court, Saenz became president of Texas Values and has since become recognized as one of the state's strongest anti-gay voices.
Saenz this year pushed an amendment to the 2014 GOP platform supporting the practice of gay-conversion therapy. Texas Values has fought against same-sex marriage and nondiscrimination ordinances, with limited success this year.
During the divorce, Saenz was able to bar his ex-wife's girlfriend -- Ercimin Paredes -- from being around their three children. That decision was later overturned, when a judge ruled that Paredes presented no threat to the children. The two now share custody of their two sons and one daughter, all younger than 10 years old.
The divorce was finalized on Aug. 1, 2013 and the official divorce papers don't have any mention of Paredes, according to Raw Story.
Jonathan Saenz did not respond to requests for comment for this story, according to reports. Corrine Saenz's attorney, Bryan E. Eggleston, also declined comment and said his client didn't want to be interviewed.
Despite the efforts of groups like Texas Values, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled earlier this year that Texas' ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Saenz has been working with Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to get the decision reversed.
"There is wide support for the state's rights and for marriage to remain between one man and one woman," Jonathan Saenz said this month. "That cuts across political lines, across faith lines and across demographic lines."
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!