As those of us who have married our same-sex spouses in one of the seven American jurisdictions—New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Iowa, and Washington, the District of Columbia—well know, when we travel to a state where same-sex marriage is not yet legal, it is as if our marriage never happened, as if it were null and void.
Therefore, it is particularly gratifying to note that, on November 10, the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Patrick Leahy, Democrat from Vermont, voted, 10 for to 8 against, in favor of Senate Bill 598—intended to repeal the heinous Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ensure respect for State regulation of marriage—which will next move to the Senate floor.
As Marriage Equality New York (MENY) Interim Executive Director Brian Silva reported, Senate Judiciary Chairman Leahy has said, “Because of DOMA, thousands of American families are now being treated unfairly by the federal government. This unfairness must end.”
Silva added, “While we know that we do not (yet!) have the votes to pass this historic legislation when it moves to the full Senate, MENY continues to work with our national partners to create the environment to repeal DOMA. We will continue to bring you information and ways you can help to make this change in support of real equality for our community!”
