Fifteen years after Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, the U.S. Senate finally has an official record of why the legislation was indeed a mistake — even if some witnesses asserted in Wednesday’s hearing (with questionable supporting evidence) that the federal government has a vested interest in discriminating against married same-sex couples.
Here’s a sampling of the powerful testimony in support of DOMA repeal submitted for the hearing — as well as the flimsy opposition. —Andrew Harmon for Advocate.com
Evan Wolfson, cofounder and president, Freedom to Marry:
"Why is the repeal of DOMA so important for same-sex couples and their families? Because marriage matters. Gay and lesbian couples want the freedom to marry for the same mix of reasons as other couples — reasons that are emotional as well as economic, practical as well as personal, social as well as spiritual, and reasons that resonate in law as they do in love. Like nongay people, gay people want to be able to protect themselves and their families, and marriage provides literally thousands of protections and supports at the federal and state level.
"Most profoundly, gay people seek to make a lifetime commitment to the person they love and to protect their families. They share similar values to those that other couples hold — like the importance of family and helping out their neighbors; they share similar worries — like making ends meet or the possibility of losing a job; and they share similar hopes and dreams — like finding that special someone to grow old with, and standing in front of friends and family to make a lifetime commitment."
Susan Murray, a Vermont attorney who testified about her marriage:
Susan Murray testifies as Reggie Stanley and husband Rocky Galloway, Lea Matthews and partner Rachel Black and their 3-year-old daughter, Nora Matthews, listen.
"My parents taught us right from wrong; they taught us to treat others with kindness; and they taught us to be fair, and to speak up for what’s right. My parents were devoted to their kids, and to helping us become successful, well-adjusted adults. They were married for 51 years before my dad died, six years ago.
"That was my model for a successful marriage, and growing up, that was the kind of marriage I aspired to have in my own life. So when I realized, as a young adult, that I was gay, I despaired of ever having a life, and a love, like that of my parents.
"But then I met a woman named Karen Hibbard — and I count myself blessed to have found love in my life. She’s a physician assistant who works in emergency walk-in care at our local hospital, stitching people up and fixing their broken bones and generally helping them get the care they need....
"Karen and I have built a life together, and are as committed to one another as my parents were to each other. And thanks to the legislature of the state of Vermont, we’re now officially, legally married. Unfortunately, because of DOMA, the federal government doesn’t’ recognize our legal marriage, so Karen and I don’t have access to the same federal protections that my parents had."
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Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign:
"DOMA does not just harm gay and lesbian couples. It hurts all of those who share in their day-to-day struggles under this discriminatory law. First and foremost, it hurts the children of same-sex couples, who suffer from financial instability created for their parents by DOMA’s discrimination. But this discriminatory law burdens other children as well, namely LGBT youth, who see the federal government continue to formally disrespect and discriminate against their community. DOMA tells them, in no uncertain terms, that they cannot be full and equal citizens of their country."
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