Defense Of Marriage Act Ruling: Gay Married Couples Look To Supreme Court Next
BOSTON — 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 should get the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples.
“I really look forward to the next step,” said Bowe-Shulman, one of 17 people from Massachusetts who sued to challenge the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
On Thursday, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the law’s denial of an array of federal benefits to same-sex couples is unconstitutional, affirming a ruling by a federal judge in 2010. Opponents and supporters of gay marriage said the case is now almost certainly headed to the Supreme Court.
Bowe-Shulman, 46, said she wants the case to go before the Supreme Court because it will put a national spotlight on the law and “expose the injustice of DOMA to more people.”
Bowe-Shulman said she and her wife pay about $100 more in taxes each month because she is taxed as part of her wife’s health insurance.
“The harm that DOMA has done hasn’t been so apparent to the general public,” she said.
In a unanimous ruling, a three-judge panel of the 1st Circuit found that the 1996 law deprives gay couples of the rights and privileges granted to heterosexual couples.
The court did not rule on another provision of the law that says states without same-sex marriage cannot be forced to recognize gay unions performed in states where it is legal. The court also was not asked to address whether gay couples have a constitutional right to marry.
The law was passed a time when it appeared Hawaii would legalize gay marriage. Since then, many states have instituted their own bans on gay marriage, while eight states have approved it, led by Massachusetts in 2004 and continuing with Connecticut, New York, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland, Washington state and the District of Columbia. Maryland and Washington’s laws are not yet in effect and may be subject to referendums.
Read the full article from The Associated Press via The Huffington Post.
The battle over same sex marriage goes to court in Illinois
The battle over same sex marriage goes to court in Illinois. Two lawsuits have been in Cook County on behalf of 25 gay and lesbian couples who were denied marriage licenses. The suits, filed by the ACLU and Lambda Legal, challenge Illinois marriage law on a constitutional basis.
So what could this mean for Quad City gays wanting to tie the knot? Some say it’s a big step toward equality. It’s been a trickle down effect. Earlier this month President Obama came out in support of gay marriage and Governor Quinn joined in soon after. Now the Illinois gay community is taking the fight into its own hands.
21 year–old Neal Shipley has his whole life planned out. He’s about to graduate college and start a career in social work. But there’s a big part of his dream missing.
“You can date anywhere but you always hope that you can get married and you hope that your marriage choice can be more open to who you’re in love with and not so much where you’re in love” Shipley said.
With only a handful of states recognizing gay marriage, Neal hopes his hometown will be lucky number 7.
“It’d be nice to be able to stay in Illinois, get married and not have to uproot my family and my job to just move somewhere where it’s legal” Shipley said.
Illinois approved same sex civil unions last year while just across the river Iowa legalized gay marriage in 2009.
North Carolina vote worries some of Iowa’s gay couples
CEDAR FALLS (KWWL) -
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Wednesday, President Obama told ABC News that he now officially supports gay marriage. His remarks come on the heels of a vote in North Carolina Tuesday that will instate a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.
While the president’s endorsement of gay marriage is encouraging for gay couples the North Carolina vote reignites fears about a similar measure being put to a vote here in Iowa.
We’ve just passed the three year anniversary since an Iowa Supreme Court decision made same sex unions legal in our state. But in November 2010, Iowa voters ousted three of the justices who agreed to overturn the state’s ban on same sex marriage.
So when votes like the one in North Carolina come down gay couples in Iowa can’t help but be reminded that their marriages could still be in jeopardy
Brenda Fite and Jennifer Waldron will soon celebrate their three year wedding anniversary. The couple once thought they’d never have a chance to tie the knot.
“When the Supreme Court ruling came down, we knew pretty instantly that we wanted to be married and all that entailed,” Waldron said.
But since their wedding, the couple feels the legality of their union’s been in a constant state of limbo. State after state has opted to ban marriages like theirs. To them, it’s a disheartening trend.
…And because the couple now shares a two-year-old son, they’re even more fearful of the looming threat lawmakers in Iowa could one day overturn their union.
“Marriage matters to us because we’re a family and we love each other. So I hope that it never comes to a vote,” said Fite.
When The Political Becomes Very Personal
from NPR.
The debate over same-sex marriage continues to heat up across the country. Vice President Joe Biden made headlines by suggesting he supports same-sex marriage. Host Michel Martin discusses the personal side of the debate with Zach Wahls, a gay-rights advocate and author of My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength and What Makes a Family.
‘Homecoming,’ Short Gay Marriage Film, Aims To Rally Support For Equality Through Social Media
from The Huffington Post.
A poignant short film aims to rally support for gay marriage in the U.K. through social media.
Produced by the Coalition for Equal Marriage, a British marriage equality advocacy group, the new movie is titled “Homecoming,” and depicts a soldier embracing his boyfriend on a military tarmac before a romantic proposal and passionate kiss.
“All men can be heroes,” a tagline reads. “All men can be husbands. End marriage discrimination.”
Director Mike Buonaiuto told Pink News that his own desire to marry his longterm partner inspired him to make the film. “One day I would like to marry my partner of almost 5 years and the celebration of our commitment should mean no more or less than any other straight couple,” he said. “I made the film to promote change and also inspire others to use their creativity to support equality and make history happen, not sit back and passively watch it.”
