Obama: "Repeal DOMA"

Obama supported the repeal of DADT. Now he thrown his support to the repeal of DOMA.

To refresh our memories: The Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1996 -- an eon ago in the rapidly changing acceptance of gay relationships. Here's what DOMA did, and still does:

1. defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman.
2. says that no state is required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state.
3. prevents the federal government from recognizing the validity of same-sex marriages.

Earlier this year, President Obama and his Attorney General decided to stop defending DOMA in court cases, based on the opinion of constitutional scholars that parts of it are unconstitutional, and have been so held in some court cases.

Now, Obama has taken the addition step of openly and actively supporting the Respect for Marriage bill, introduced by Senators Dianne Finestein (D-CA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on it tomorrow. Given its 27 co-sponsors, it clearly will pass in the senate. However, a similar bill introduced in the House faces a Republican majority and likely will not pass.

On another gay rights issue, the Senate today, by a vote of 80 to 13, confirmed the appointment of the first openly gay federal judge, J. Paul Oetken, to the U. S. District Court in New York.

The remarkable thing was that it was a non-issue.

Progress. More than I ever dreamed possible just a few years ago.

Ralph