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Defense of Marriage Act Ruled Unconstitutional Again

A Connecticut Federal Court Judge ruled yesterday that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the Fifth Amendment right to equal protection, following suit with several other judges who have made the same ruling in the past two years. DOMA defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, denying federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. The case was brought forward by six same-sex married couples and a widower, all of whom were denied federal benefits.

Mary Bonauto, the Civil Rights Project Director for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), the plaintiff in the case, stated, “We are very pleased that the Court recognized that DOMA’s creation of second-class marriages harms our clients who simply seek the same opportunities to care and provide for each other and their children that other families enjoy.”

The House of Representatives’ Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group intervened on behalf of DOMA. Both supporters and opponents of DOMA, as well as the Obama administration, have requested that the U.S. Supreme Court issue a ruling on the constitutionality of the law.

Media Resources: Huffington Post 7/31/12; Care2 7/31/12; Advocate 7/31/12

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