In the continuing race to see which state can be the most regressive, Texas is taking notes from Oklahoma and tried halting all spousal benefits for the National Guard in a convoluted method to avoid being forced to recognized legally married gay couples, which would violate the Texas state constitution.
This resulted in a dispute with the Department of Defense who insist that all of their troops be treated equally, regardless of the state they happen to be stationed in. As of Tuesday, the Texas National Guard revealed that they have resolved their dispute with the Pentagon…by backing down.
Despite the initial resistance, the Texas National Guard is now considered to be in compliance with the Department of Defense's demands that spousal benefits for all couples, gay or straight, be recognized. Members of the Texas National Guard can now have spousal benefits processed at both state- and federally-run installations.
