The First Federal Appeals Court in Boston, Massachusetts ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1996, was unconstitutional and overstepped the boundaries that the Constitution has laid out. The court's decision, written by Judge Michael Bouldin, stated that this act promoted the unfair treatment of a minority (the gay and lesbian community). The literal wording in the law sounds completely wrong, such as "defending and nurturing the institution of traditional, heterosexual marriage." This was deemed by Judge Bouldin as insufficient in justifying the reasoning behind this bill. The Defense of Marriage Act specifies that the federal government only has to accept and recognize heterosexual marriages, and denied such benefits as Social Security and burial priveleges in veteran cemeteries from the homosexual community. This same law was found unconstitutional by the Ninth Federal Appeals Court in San Francisco, California. It seems we may be taking a step in the right direction on this matter. (for more information, click the link below)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303552104577438240016151850.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
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