Senate Judiciary Committee advances bill to repeal discriminatory DOMA

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds the Senate Judiciary Committee’s passage of the “Respect for Marriage Act,” which would repeal the “Defense of Marriage Act,” a 1996 law requiring the federal government to single out legally married same-sex couples for discriminatory treatment, selectively denying them more than 1,100 federal protections and responsibilities that otherwise apply to married couples. The Task Force Action Fund is advocating for passage of the Respect for Marriage Act.

Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey said today:

This vote marks an important step toward recognizing our common humanity, and moves us closer to ending a grave injustice against thousands of loving, committed couples who simply want to provide and care for each other as other married couples are allowed to do. It is both shocking and an outrage that, in modern-day America, legally married same-sex couples are being singled out and selectively denied fundamental rights by their own federal government. The Respect for Marriage Act respects and protects the rights of these couples to live free of this government-sponsored discrimination. We thank the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing this measure today, and urge the full Senate to follow suit. DOMA has only served to hurt families, and it is time to wipe it from the books once and for all.