Massachusetts challenges federal defense-of-marriage act
July 09, 2009
Attorney General Martha Coakley of Massachusetts-- the first American state to offer legal recognition for same-sex marriage-- has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. The legislation was passed by Congress in 1996 to ensure that other states would not be required to recognize homosexual marriages. Coakley argues that the law discriminates against homosexuals and violates the state’s right to set its own marriage laws.
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