An new article by Kerry Eleveld on Advocate.com says Washington is abuzz with the possibility of repealing at least part of the Defense of Marriage Act in light of the fact two states have now legalized same-sex marriage and more appear to be on the way.
Passed in 1996, during the Clinton administration, DOMA says:
1. No state (or other political subdivision within the United States) needs to treat a relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage, even if the relationship is considered a marriage in another state.
2. The federal government may not treat same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose, even if concluded or recognized by one of the states.
At the time of passage, it was expected that at least one state would soon legalize same-sex marriage, whether by legislation or judicial interpretation of either the state or federal constitution. Opponents of gay marriage feared (and many proponents hoped) that the other states would then be required to recognize such marriages under the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the United States Constitution, which basically says that states have to recognize the “public acts, records, and judicial rulings” of other states
Hop over and read the article on Advocate.com.
