Whoa… the Texas Supreme Court yesterday ruled that gay couples do not have a right to government-funded spousal benefits. The court is made up of nine Republicans, so you can imagine the screeching that ensued. But I will just say this. Texas recognizes marriage as between a man and a woman, so why wouldn’t they rule this way? It was a unanimous vote. The US Supreme Court may have legalized same-sex marriage, but the individual states have not.

Conservatives are thrilled and see this as a protection of traditional marriage. In the end, this will be a stand-off between the federal government and the states over this issue. Of course, GLAAD was all over this: “The Texas Supreme Court’s decision this morning is a warning shot to all LGBTQ Americans that the war on marriage equality is ever-evolving, and anti-LGBTQ activists will do anything possible to discriminate against our families,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of the LGBT advocacy group GLAAD. So, the battle lines are drawn in Texas. Nothing new here.

From Western Journalism:

The Texas Supreme Court ruled unanimously Friday that gay couples have no inherent right to government-funded spousal benefits.