老澳门开奖结果

A federal appeals court in Massachusetts that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional because it denies married same-sex couples the same federal benefits available to other married couples.

The case, Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, was originally filed by on behalf of several married same-sex couples and widowers in Massachusetts in 2009. In 2010, a found that DOMA violated the equal protection clause of the Fifth Amendment. Today鈥檚 upholds that ruling.

The 老澳门开奖结果 has a similar case awaiting a decision in federal court on behalf of Edith 鈥淓die鈥� Windsor, who was forced to pay over $300,000 in taxes after the death of her spouse Thea Spyer, which she would not have had to pay if she married a man. Edie and Thea were together for 44 years, becoming engaged in 1967 and finally marrying in Canada in 2007. Edie nursed Thea through a long struggle with multiple sclerosis before Thea died in 2009. Despite their lifelong commitment, they were strangers in the eyes of the government.

A decision in the case is expected at any time.

In the News:

: Federal Appeals Court Rules Defense of Marriage Act Unconstitutional

: DOMA鈥檚 Federal Definition of Marriage Rule Unconstitutional

: Federal Appeals Court Finds Defense of Marriage Act Unconstitutional

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