What I didn't, and won't, concede is that this difference is in any way whatsoever significant.
Thank you for making my point. You assume that the relationships are sufficiently similar to raise an equal protection claim. You assume. Not prove. You have not demonstrated that the relationships are sufficiently similar, you've only claimed it. And upon the basis of that unsupported claim, you contend there is an equal protection case. You're certainly not alone in this flawed thinking, and it did prevail in the USSC case, but that hardly makes it "right."