DOMA: One Month Later

Tomorrow it will have been one month since the repeal of DOMA's Section Three. At the Washington Blade, Chris Johnson looks at the rapid moves taken since then:

Almost like a domino effect, public officials and judges in Ohio, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Missouri this week alone have acted to advance marriage equality by drawing on the decision in Windsor v. United States as part of their reasoning. Doug NeJaime, a gay law professor at the University of California, Davis, said this movement so soon after the Windsor ruling “was anticipated” given the language that Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy used in his opinion.

“Given the flurry of activity, and the quick decisions coming out of places like Ohio, this may mean that the Supreme Court may not be able to avoid the question regarding the constitutionality of state marriage bans as long as some of the justices may hope,” NeJaime said. “Clearly in Perry they were able to push the issue off for a bit, but it doesn’t seem they will be able to avoid the question for more than a few years at most.”

Key quote: "The pace has been quick and it's only getting quicker."