Legally married in 1 state, denied a divorce in Texas; gay couples left in legal limbo

Divorce dilemma: Texas says gays can’t get divorce

DALLAS — Some gay couples who struggled to win the right to marry are finding that it’s also hard to get divorced.

The state of Texas says a union granted in a state where same-sex marriage is legal can’t be dissolved with a divorce in a state where it’s not.

A judge in Austin granted a divorce to Angelique Naylor and Sabina Daly, who married in Massachusetts in 2004. But Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is appealing that decision.

Abbott also is appealing a divorce granted to a gay couple in Dallas. A state appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments in that case Wednesday.

The drawn-out process has been frustrating for Naylor.

The 39-year-old says, “We didn’t ask for a marriage; we simply asked for the courtesy of divorce.”