Today, the Texas Supreme Court issued its decision in Pidgeon v. Turner, deciding that a case challenging government-provided spousal benefits to same-sex spouses may continue. On Monday, the National Center for Lesbian Rights won U.S. Supreme Court case Pavan v. Smith, which affirmed that the 2015 marriage equality decision Obergefell v. Hodges requires the equal treatment of same-sex married couples. National Center for Lesbian Rights Deputy Director Cathy Sakimura issued the following statement in response:
“Obergefell and Pavan plainly require equal treatment of married same-sex couples. It is disappointing—and inexplicable—that the Court would allow this case to continue, and that the Texas Supreme Court did not simply resolve this now. There is no need for further litigation on this issue, which will only take up unnecessary time and resources. The law is clear, and the Supreme Court has now removed any possible question or uncertainty by issuing the Pavan decision earlier this week. States must provide married same-sex couples with exactly the protections and benefits as opposite-sex married couples. The Texas Supreme Court merely delayed this inevitable ruling.”
