All Marriages Need to Be Treated Equally Under the Law

We must end federal discrimination against married same sex couples

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By Stacey Long

, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

December 17, 2012

About Stacey Long:

Stacey Long is the director of public policy and government affairs at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

The truth is that our ability to marry is being decided at the ballot box, in state legislatures, in the courts, and finally now, in the Supreme Court. While we know that we must win more states and continue to grow public support for marriage equality, it is likely that we will have to persuade Congress or the Supreme Court to end marriage discrimination. Today, because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, the federal government discriminates against married same sex couples by not granting them the federal benefits and protections that are granted to married opposite-sex couples. And this needs to end.

[See a collection of political cartoons on gay marriage.]

We know that the majority of Americans support the freedom to marry and realize that we share a common humanity. Yet in the United States, only nine states and the District of Columbia allow loving and committed same sex couples to marry. We simply have to continue to change hearts and minds and continue to grow majority support for marriage equality across the country. The bottom line is that all marriages need to be treated equally under the law.