Pedone

T
28p DRAF
Holly Pedone
Professor Eileen Abrahams

English 123-16

March 11,2475
Marriage?

In 1996,

congress passed DOMA, The Defense Of Marriage Act, a federal law enabling a

state to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages allowed by other states. Section 3 of the
states spouse refers to heterosexual couples only, refusing to

DOMA

allow same-sex marriage partners

the same legal rights of a heterosexual one. Rights such as social security's survivor benefits, insurance and tax benefits. In September 2013 section 3 of DOMA was repealed. University

Rights Law Journalist George Mason states,

"In

Civil

US v. Windsor, Justice Kennedy held that the

Dqfense Of Marriage Act was unconstitutional in defining marriage as befween a man and

ytoman because it excluded same-sex pafiners thousands of beneJits accorded Io married indi-

viduals under Jbderal laws" (263). There are vital issues at stake for couples of the same sex w'ho
plan on marying, or the couples that have mamied, but are living in one of the thirteen states in
the United States that do not legally recognize their marriage under DOMA. Same-sex married
couples should have the same legal rights as heterosexual couples u,hen it comes to marriage.
To find out if same-sex couples should be included in the institution of marriage we

have i

:cognized sexual

relationship between two adults (2) a contractual agreement uniffing two people that involves
certain rights and obligations and (3) a legally recognized state of wedlock involving a state license and usually a religious

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