Gay rights advocates have yet another reason to celebrate: A U.S. appeals court in Boston struck down a key part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman.
The three-judge panel ruled that DOMA unfairly denies equal benefits to same-sex couples that are legally married. Currently, gay marriage is legal in seven states and the District of Columbia.
This ruling, on the heels of President Obama and others in his administration expressing support for marriage equality, sets the stage for the Supreme Court to take on DOMA next year. In February of last year, Obama instructed the Department of Justice to stop defending the law in court, and earlier this year a conservative federal judge, appointed during George W. Bush's time in office, declared DOMA unconstitutional in the case of a lesbian couple denied spousal health benefits.
This article appears in May 31 – Jun 6, 2012.