WASHINGTON -- Just over a month after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network on Thursday announced a lawsuit seeking to strike down the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
The lawsuit, first reported by The Huffington Post last week, will be filed in federal court in Massachusetts on behalf of eight current and retired service members and their families. According to SLDN, the plaintiffs are challenging the constitutionality of DOMA as well as provisions in Titles 10, 32 and 38 of the U.S. Code that prevent service members in same-sex marriages from receiving the same benefits as heterosexual couples.
At an event announcing the lawsuit at the National Press Club, the plaintiffs and their family members cast the challenge in terms of fairness. "The case we are bringing is about one thing, plain and simple: It's about justice for gay and lesbian service members and their families and our armed forces," said Aubrey Sarvis, an Army veteran and the executive director of SLDN. He stressed that all eight plaintiffs were "legally married" in various states.
Read More...
More on Gay Marriage
target=_blank>http://chilp.it/a487b4
No comments:
Post a Comment