SCOTUS Denies AZ Gov. Brewer's Attempt To Strip Domestic Partner Benefits

The Supreme Court today refused to review the appeal of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who wants to strip state employees of domestic partner benefits. The Human Rights Campaign reacts via press release:

After the landmark decisions on the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8 yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued orders today declining to review the remaining LGBT equality cases on its docket this term. Most significantly, the Court dismissed Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s petition to overturn the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Brewer v. Diaz, in which that court concluded that Arizona violated the constitutional rights of LGBT Arizona state employees when it passed a law stripping them of their domestic partner benefits in 2009. Lambda Legal filed suit on behalf of ten state employees and their families.

“Yesterday’s victories at the Supreme Court thrilled LGBT people across the country, but it also reminded those living in many states of the inequality they and their families continue to face,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Today’s order brings Arizonans a step closer to enjoying the equality that all Americans deserve and that we are all committed to ensuring for everyone, everywhere. We congratulate Lambda Legal and their courageous plaintiffs in their successful fight against the callous discrimination of their elected officials.”

RELATED: The Court today also refused to take Lambda Legal's bid to overturn Nevada's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Lambda Legal had directly appealed to the Supreme Court in an attempt to bypass the Ninth Circuit, where the case will now be tried.