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Defense Of Marriage Act

Obama urges Supreme Court to strike down federal Defense of Marriage Act

The Obama administration is asking the Supreme Court to strike down the federal law defining marriage as a union between only a man and a woman.The request regarding the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act was made Friday in a brief by Solicitor General Donald Verrilli that argues the law is unconstitutional because it violates "the fundamental guarantee of equal protection."The high court is set to hear two cases next month on the issue: the constitutional challenge on Proposition 8, the 2008 California that allowed same-sex marriages in the state that two years later was overturned, and United States v. Windsor, which challenges DOMA.Edith Windsor, a California resident, was married to her female partner in Canada in 2007 but was required to pay roughly $360,000 in federal estate taxes because the marriage is not recognized under DOMA.The law "denies to tens of thousands of same-sex couples who are legally married under state law an array of important federal benefits that are available to ...

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  1. SCOTUS Ruling on Prop 8, DOMA Expected by June

    Family Research Council President Tony Perkins on the Supreme Court hearing arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act .

  2. U.S. House of Representatives Group Files Motion in Defense of Marriage Act Suit

    Gays and lesbians are not entitled to the same heightened legal protection and scrutiny against discrimination as racial minorities and women in part because they ar...

  3. Minnesota governor signs gay marriage bill

    As a crowd of thousands roared from the lawn of the state Capitol, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill Tuesday that makes gay marriage legal here come Aug. 1....

  4. Gay Rights Groups Unhappy After Justice Department Defends DOMA in Court

    Gay rights advocates are criticizing the Obama Justice Department after its attorneys filed a court motion Thursday in support of the Defense of Marriage Act despite...

  5. Supreme Court justices raise doubts about federal marriage law

    A majority of Supreme Court justices voiced skepticism Wednesday about the legitimacy of a federal provision that prevents married gay couples from receiving a range...

  6. Gay marriage makes its way to the Supreme Court

    SCOTUS to rule on Prop 8 and DOMA

  7. Day two of same-sex marriage cases at SCOTUS

    Will justices strike down DOMA ?

  8. Education Department to use neutral terms for 'mother,' 'father' on financial aid forms

    Federal officials -- for the first time -- plan to make provisions on the application for student aid for same-sex marriages, as well as unions where both parents ar...

  9. Obama's Reversal on 'DOMA'

    What impact could this decision have in the U.S.?

  10. Firestorm After Law Firm Drops Out of DOMA Fight

    Did legal powerhouse bow to political pressure from gay rights groups?

  11. What we ought to be asking gay marriage advocates

    Given his track record on marital fidelity, former President Bill Clinton is not the person I would consult about "committed, loving relationships." Clinton used tho...

  12. Obama considers intervening in gay marriage case

    The Obama administration is considering urging the Supreme Court to overturn California's ban on gay marriage -- a move that could have a far-reaching impact on same...

  1. Gay married couples look to Supreme Court to settle battle over Defense of Marriage Act

    Fresh from a favorable ruling by a federal appeals court, Dorene Bowe-Shulman can't wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on whether same-sex married couples s...

  2. Democrats Push to Repeal Defense of Marriage Act

    Senate Democrats who back gay marriage have decided now is the time to repeal a federal law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.The Democrats may sat...

  3. Military's same-sex couples seek overturn of DOMA

    The death certificate read "single," although the fallen soldier was not.When it came time to inform the next of kin, casualty officers did not go to the widow's doo...

  4. NY judge joins several others in striking down component of federal Defense of Marriage Act

    A federal judge in Manhattan joined a growing chorus of judges across the country Wednesday by striking down a key component of a federal law denying benefits to par...

  5. Activists Expect Debate Over Defense of Marriage Act

    Gay service members from Army soldiers to Air Force officers are planning to celebrate the official end of the military's 17-year policy that forced them to hide the...

  6. No Defense for Defense of Marriage Act ?

    Democratic strategist Dan Gerstein on president's decision on DOMA

  7. Is DOMA still relevant?

    Ken Klukowski and Rabbi Evan Moffic debate Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing

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