Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant, who have been together for over 30 years, just became the first same-sex couple to legally marry in Texas.
The state’s ban on same-sex marriage is seemingly still intact. The Fifth Circuit is still considering the federal challenge of the ban, and a state judge’s ruling earlier this week in an estate fight did not have any immediate impact on the status quo. Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir wanted the ruling to force her to issue marriage licenses, but she was not sure she had the legal grounds to do so.
But on Wednesday, another state judge issued a ruling ordering DeBeauvoir to issue a license to Goodfriend and Bryant, and Thursday morning, the couple immediately married. Goodfriend is fighting ovarian cancer, so they sought emergency relief, which was granted narrowly on their behalf. They were married by Rabbi Kerry Baker and joined by their friends and their two teenage daughters, Dawn and Ting.
Because the order applied only to them, Texas’ ban remains in place. Though Goodfriend and Bryant now have a valid marriage license, it is unclear whether the states’ other departments will recognize it.