LGBT Groups React To DOMA Day

GLAD

For every day DOMA continues to be enforced by our federal government, thousands of legally married same-sex couples are denied critical protections. DOMA is a blatantly discriminatory law which targets a particularly disliked group, impacts important personal interests, and represents a one-time departure from the usual process of allocating federal rights and benefits. Same-sex couples who are legally married in their home states should be treated like all other married couples in this nation – with respect and dignity. I am confident this case got a fair hearing today in our nation’s highest court. This day has been long in the making, and the question is not if, but when, this discriminatory law will be overturned.

Lambda Legal

Edie Windsor had her day in court and bravely stood not only for herself, but for all lesbian and gay couples treated unequally by their government," Taylor added. "As we argued in our friend-of-the-court brief, DOMA heaps upon married same-sex couples disadvantages that defy credible connection to any legitimate governmental purpose. President Obama knows it and refuses to defend DOMA in court. Former President Clinton, who signed DOMA into law, knows it. And now I believe the justices of the Supreme Court have persuasive grounds to affirm the Second Circuit's decision. Today spells doomsday for DOMA. We congratulate our colleagues at the ACLU and the law firm Paul Weiss on a great day at the Supreme Court.

National Center For Lesbian Rights

Shannon Minter, Legal Director: I think we're going to win. I think the court is going to reach the merits on this case and I think they're going to say that DOMA violates the federal constitution, probably for equal protection reasons. I do think DOMA is dead.

I'll add more reactions to this post as they come in.