Massachusetts challenges Defence of Marriage Act

Massachusetts challenges Defence of Marriage Act

It was the first US state to legalise gay marriage in 2004 and is now the first to challenge the controversial Act.

The Defence of Marriage Act bans the federal government from treating same-sex relationships as marriages regardless of whether they are performed or recognised by a state.

The suit, filed by state Attorney General Martha Coakley in the US district court in Boston, also states the 1996 Act forces states to discriminate against gay married couples regarding various benefits rights.

It reads: "Congress overstepped its authority, undermined states’ efforts to recognise marriages between same-sex couples, and codified an animus towards gay and lesbian people."


http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-13177.html