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February 7, 2012

GLAD Applauds Ruling in Perry Case

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), which has won marriage equality cases in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and partnered with New England state organizations to win marriage legislatively in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, today applauded the victory of California’s same-sex couples in the case Perry v. Brown.

“We are thrilled that California’s same-sex couples are again on track to gaining the freedom to marry,” said Mary L. Bonauto, GLAD’s Civil Rights Project Director.  “We applaud the Court’s ruling that taking away marriage from same-sex couples but leaving Registered Domestic Partnership laws in place accomplishes nothing but stigmatizing committed same-sex relationships.  We hope that California citizens will soon be able to marry the person they love.”

Gary Buseck, GLAD’s Legal Director, added, “Starting with our victory in Massachusetts in 2003, and now in other states, we’ve seen how marriage honors enduring commitments and brings an outbreak of happiness.”

Same-sex married couples still face federal discrimination against their marriages because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). GLAD’s two federal court cases challenging DOMA are also on track to be heard at the Court of Appeals level, and then likely the U.S. Supreme Court.  Gill v. Office of Personnel Management is on appeal in the First Circuit following a district court ruling that DOMA is unconstitutional.  GLAD is awaiting a district court ruling in the Second Circuit case Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management.  In both cases, GLAD is representing same-sex married couples and widowers who were denied federal rights in Social Security, tax filing, family medical leave, employee benefits and pension protections because of DOMA.