Encore: When Two Open Marriages Collide
In a move that shocked the nation, the president of the United States announced that they are ending the federal protections given to married same-sex couples under the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
In a move that shocked the nation, the president of the United States announced that they are ending the federal protections given to married same-sex couples under the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Under the federal law, no state can prevent two legally married same-sex couples from having their union recognized in court. This has been interpreted to mean that same-sex couples can marry across state borders without fear of discrimination or government rejection.
But now, President Obama has gone against this long-standing tradition of protecting every single married same-sex couple in the nation by ending the federal protection under DOMA.
Obama’s move has been called “cruel” by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and said that the gay and lesbian couples “will find themselves without the legal protection of equal protection under the law.”
Despite the fact that the president has never met a straight marriage he wanted to support, he announced today that he’s against allowing gay and lesbian couples to have the same federal protections given to straight couples. According to the Huffington Post, the president said that DOMA “should not be allowed. I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. Why would I be OK with a same-sex marriage? I’m not.”
At first glance, this move seems like a clear-cut issue between Obama and his political opponents. But while this move will undoubtedly stir up the most political controversy yet, it does actually represent something far more important than simply a political battle. By stripping married same-sex couples of the same federal protections that exist for straight married couples, the president is going against the very foundation of America.
Why do we say this?
We are a nation founded upon the principle that every single person should be entitled to the same rights and protections afforded under the law. Marriage is the law of the land. The Constitution grants every legal protection that an individual has to his or her body and his or her rights. Marriage, like no
