Today, the legal organization GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) filed a lawsuit challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which, in pertinent part, denies same-sex married couples every single Federal benefit related to marriage. The suit, brought on behalf of eight married couples and three widowers, is the first concerted, multi-plaintiff to Section 3 of the Act, which denies spousal protections in Social Security, federal income tax, federal employees’ and retirees’ benefits, and the issuance of passports. It is also the first suit in which plaintiffs who were married in their state of residence applied for federal benefits and were denied them.

The plaintiffs’ claim is a powerful one, and it’s hard to imagine how one could write an intellectually honest opinion rejecting it.

The complaint (PDF) in the suit claims that the statute “is motivated by disapproval of gay men and lesbians and their relationships, an illegitimate state interest.” It’s clear from the language that the attorneys are relying principally on two Supreme Court precedents, Department of Agriculture v. Moreno (1973) and Romer v. Evans (1996). Those cases, together, show that DOMA can’t withstand constitutional scrutiny. (Two Federal Court of Appeals judges have recently arrived at a similar analysis.)

Labels: DOMA, Romer v. Evans

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