Gay Couples Challenge Defense Of Marriage Act

[Mari333]

Source: npr

May 6, 2010

Six years after Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to legalize gay marriage, a group of married same-sex couples will be in federal court in Boston on Thursday, arguing that their marriages should also be recognized by the federal government.

Among those bringing the lawsuit, considered to be the first serious challenge of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, are Kathy Bush and Mary Ritchie. When they married in 2004, they thought they would finally get the benefits and protections other couples do, without having to hire lawyers to draw up special contracts to secure everything from their parental rights to health care proxies.

Bush, Ritchie and 17 other plaintiffs argue that the federal government can't just ignore some marriage certificates and recognize others. Their lawyer, Gary Buseck with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, says DOMA violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution because it is discriminatory.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126541845

[SoapBox]

1. Yes!

...and, NPR ran a story on this today...it was interesting.

However, there was some clown from a DOM type group, that just
spewed the usual vomit...everyone else sounded great.

[Mari333]

2. this will end up in SCOTUS

and thats where it needs to go..

the Obama admin should be actively pursuing it to DUMP it. It was and is completely discrimination

[Tesha]

3. You can bet the Obama Administration will "reluctantly" defense DOMA.

And they'll hope we don't all notice how deeply, truly
reluctant they are as they provide a vigorous defense
of this indefensible law.

Tesha

[Tesha]

4. It turns out I know the attorney handling this case for the married couple.

She's Mary Bonauto, who handled the original case that brought
equal marriage to Massachusetts.

http://www.glad.org/about/staff/

I had a chance to meet her when the New Hampshire Civil Liberties
Union gave her their annual Bill-of-Rights award for the work she
did in Massachusetts (which laid the groundwork for us passing
equal marriage here in NH). There's no one better qualified to be
doing this work and I have full confidence that unless the Radical
Right on the Supreme Court absolutely twists themselves into knots,
they can't help but decide in favor of the couple bringing the suit.

And it's about time!

Tesha

[Solly Mack]

5. k/r