Obama Administration Urges Supreme Court to Rethink DOMA

Religion Today | Updated: Mar 11, 2013

Obama Administration Urges Supreme Court to Rethink DOMA

In a legal brief submitted late last Friday, the Obama administration urged the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, WORLD reports. "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 legally married opposite-sex couples," government lawyers wrote. DOMA does not forbid states from approving same-sex "marriage," but it prevents the federal government from recognizing those unions. In its brief, the administration also described sexual orientation as a core aspect of human identity: "Its expression, particularly in loving and committed relationships, is an 'integral part of human freedom.'" The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on DOMA on March 27, the day after it considers a challenge to California's Proposition 8, the voter-approved measure that defined marriage in the state as between one man and one woman. The Obama administration also indicated possibly weighing in on Prop 8; government lawyers have until Thursday to file a "friend of the court" brief in the case.



Obama Administration Urges Supreme Court to Rethink DOMA