DOMA Ruled Unconstitutional

The provision in the so-called Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages was declared unconstitutional yesterday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston.  This is the first time a Court of Appeals has so ruled and the decision was written by a conservative, Republican appointee.  The case dealt only with federal benefits for same-sex couples, not the legality of same-sex marriage itself, but it is yet another nail in the coffin of this bankrupt law.  As Geoffrey Stone, law professor at the University of Chicago said, "it is another illustration of the growing consensus of the judiciary about the unconstitutionality of discriminating against gays and lesbians in the realm of marriage."