Task Force applauds President Obama’s support of Respect for Marriage Act

The Task Force applauds the White House’s announcement today that President Obama supports the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill to repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies federal recognition to legally married same-sex couples. The announcement comes on the eve of the first-ever U.S. Senate hearing to repeal DOMA.

Statement by Rea Carey, executive director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

President Obama did the right thing today by announcing his support of the Respect for Marriage Act. In doing so, he joins the large and growing chorus urging for an end to DOMA, a discriminatory, unjust and far-reaching law. There is no sound defense of the indefensible DOMA, which singles out and selectively denies fundamental rights to legally married same-sex couples. We thank the president for his support on the eve of the historic congressional hearing to repeal DOMA. We thank him and the many House and Senate members who recognize that DOMA has no place on the books and support its full, swift repeal. DOMA has only served to belittle our country’s deeply held values of freedom and fairness. It has only served to hurt families, not help. This must end now.