Vermont Congressman Peter Welch: Repealing DOMA is a Matter of Fairness
Posted on Sep 18, 2009 at 01:33 pm
September 17, 2009
U.S. Representative Peter Welch is one of 90 House Democrats supporting a repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. Welch says the issue comes down to state's rights. Before DOMA was passed, marriage was left up to individual states to decide. With the introduction of the act, the federal government interfered with that historic right. "Repealing DOMA will put us back on the track that we were on for hundreds of years," he said. [Link]
Op-Ed: Without marriage equality, there is no equality
Posted on Sep 17, 2009 at 01:42 pm
September 16, 2009
After years of discrimination, the United States is ready to join the rest of the enlightened, democratic world and finally stand behind the country’s long withheld promise of equality. As Americans, we should be able to choose our companions regardless of their race, social status, income level, religious background or something as personal as sexual orientation. [Link]
Video: Introduction of Respect for Marriage Act to Repeal DOMA
Posted on Sep 17, 2009 at 11:11 am
September 15, 2009
Rep. Jerrold Nadler holds a press conference to announce the introduction of the Respect for Marriage Act. This legislation would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). [Link]
Politicians Changing Their Tune on DOMA
Posted on Sep 17, 2009 at 10:59 am
September 16, 2009
In agreement with the freshly-minted Respect for Marriage Act, President Clinton, Bob Barr and seven sitting members of Congress who supported DOMA now oppose it. So why the about-face? [Link]
Legislators Seek Repeal of Federal Marriage Law
Posted on Sep 16, 2009 at 04:14 pm
September 16, 2009
Unhappy with the piecemeal approach to marriage equality adopted by some Democratic leaders, over 90 House Representatives, led by Rep Jerrold Nadler and including Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee, introduced a bill Tuesday to repeal the central federal law (DOMA) governing the freedom to marry. [Link]
Evan Wolfson: Respect for Marriage Act Introduced in Congress: Time to Dump “DOMA”
Posted on Sep 16, 2009 at 03:01 pm
September 16, 2009
Evan Wolfson, Executive Director of Freedom to Marry, explains the significance of yesterday's introduction of the Respect for Marrage Act:
Six states so far, have ended gay couples' exclusion from marriage...and Americans have seen that ending that exclusion from marriage helps families and harms no one... If we do the work of enlisting more Representatives and Senators to fulfill President Obama's pledge to repeal 'DOMA,' we can pass the Respect for Marriage Act. Now is the time. [Link]
Photo: Evan Wolfson and Tammy Baldwin Look on as Jerrold Nadler Introduces Respect for Marriage Act
Posted on Sep 16, 2009 at 02:37 pm
A crowd of seasoned LGBT advocates including Evan Wolfson, Executive Director of Freedom to Marry and Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, looks on as Representative Jerrold Nadler introduces the Respect for Marriage Act in Washington D.C. on September 15, 2009. Text of Section 3 of the bill:For the purposes of any Federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the State where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any State, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a State. [Link]
Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenau: Proudly Changing My Position on DOMA
Posted on Sep 16, 2009 at 09:07 am
September 15, 2009
Rep. Earl Blumenau explains "the worst vote of my political career" which he cast on July 12, 1996 in favor of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and why he will now - as a co-sponsor of Jerrold Nadler's RMA legislation introduced yesterday - "work to make sure that my colleagues...take this opportunity to correct their record and eliminate an injustice. [Link]
The Respect for Marriage Act Garners Support of Over 90 Co-Sponsors, President Clinton, and Former R
Posted on Sep 15, 2009 at 06:09 pm
September 15, 2009
Today's introduction of the Respect for Marriage Act has already gained key support:
Today, following the introduction of the Respect for Marriage Act by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), the legislation has already gained key support from important corners. Among the bill’s backers are former President Bill Clinton, who signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) into law in 1996, and former Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA), who first introduced DOMA. They join the dozens of civil rights organizations and 91 original co-sponsors of the bill who are pushing for a full repeal of DOMA.
Today, President Clinton said: “I want to thank Congressman Nadler for hisleadership on this issue, and Reps. Baldwin, Polis, Conyers, Lewis, Velazquez and Lee, for introducing the Respect for Marriage Act in the House of Representatives. Throughout my life I have opposed discrimination of any kind. When the Defense of Marriage Act was passed, gay couples could not marry anywhere in the United States or the world for that matter. Thirteen years later, the fabric of our country has changed, and so should this policy.”
Today, Bob Barr said: “I join with former President Bill Clinton in commending Rep. Jerry Nadler for introducing the ‘Respect for Marriage Act of 2009.’ This legislation would strengthen the principle that each state is free to set the definition of marriage the citizens of that state have adopted. Rep. Nadler’s legislation would also repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, and by so doing, remove the federal government from involving itself in matters of defining ‘marriage,’ which historically and according to principles of federalism, are properly state matters and not federal.”
Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) Introduced
Posted on Sep 15, 2009 at 01:59 pm
September 15, 2009
Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York -- flanked by out Representatives Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Jared Polis of Colorado along with a wide swath of seasoned LGBT groups and advocates including Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry -- held a press conference Tuesday to announce the introduction of the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation co-sponsored by 91 members of the House, that would fully repeal of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. Former president Bill Clinton sent a statement in support of repealing DOMA, passed under his watch, to be read at the event. [Link]