Judge Rules DOMA Unconstitutional

by: Jennifer Daler

Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 17:31:02 PM EDT

US District Court Judge Joseph Tauro ruled today that the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional because it impedes the rights of the states to define marriage.

The state had argued the law denied benefits such as Medicaid to gay married couples in Massachusetts, where same-sex unions have been legal since 2004.
Tauro agreed, and said the act forces Massachusetts to discriminate against its own citizens.
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