A personal blog by a Black, Gay, Caribbean, Liberal, Progressive, Moderate, Fit, Geeky, Married, College-Educated, NPR-Listening, Tennis-Playing, Feminist, Atheist, Math Professor in Los Angeles, California
Friday, November 04, 2011
133 House Members Sign Brief Challenging DOMA
133 Democratc congressmembers signed their names to a brief filed before the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Gill v Office of Personnel Management in which the central question is whether the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional.
The case was brought (and won) by Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders before U.S. District Court judge Joseph Tauro in July 2009. The Department of Justice appealed the decision, but then in February 2011 the United States changed sides in the case after the President determined that DOMA is inherently unconstitutional and laws that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation warrant heightened scrutiny.
DOMA is being defended in federal court by superlawyer Paul Clement for BLAG, the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, on behalf of the U.S. House Republican majority.
Hat/tip to Joe.My.God
Labels:
Barack Obama,
civil marriage,
DOMA,
Eric Holder,
federal judiciary,
federal law,
GLAD,
John Boehner,
lawsuit,
marriage,
marriage equality,
Nancy Pelosi,
Obama administration,
Republicans
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