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For Immediate Release
August, 17 2009, 01:22pm EDT
Contact:
Vaishalee Raja, Communications Director,PHONE: (916) 284-9187,EMAIL:,vaishalee@eqca.org
Equality California Disappointed by Obama Administration's Ongoing Defense of DOMA
SAN FRANCISCO
Today
the Obama Administration filed court papers saying the Defense of
Marriage Act does discriminate against same-sex couples, but the
Justice Department is continuing to defend the law that prevents
married same-sex couples from having their unions recognized by the
federal government.
In response, Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors issued the following statement:
"Although
we are pleased that the Obama Administration has stated that DOMA is
discriminatory and that same-sex couples are as good parents as
heterosexual couples, we are troubled by the Obama Justice Department
saying that discrimination based on sexual orientation does not raise
serious constitutional issues and that such discrimination is
rational," Kors said. "Discrimination against same-sex couples is never
rational, and laws that discriminate must be reviewed carefully to
ensure that the majority's animus toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender people is not the motive."
Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve equality and civil rights for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians.
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