GMHC Salutes the Second Circuit Court of Appeals Decision Striking Down the Defense of Marriage Act

October 23, 2012
For Immediate Release:
Dirk McCall, 212-367-1211/917-921-8308

New York, New York – GMHC applauds the Justices of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, regarding their 2 to 1 ruling which declared the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional and violated the equal protection clause of the United States Constitution.  This decision is notable as it is the first time that a federal court has identified same-sex married couples as a quasi-suspect group which has faced discrimination and is entitled to greater scrutiny when reviewing laws that might discriminate against them.

Commenting on the decision, GMHC CEO Marjorie J. Hill, PhD declared, “This decision moves us closer to a day in which all Americans will be treated equally. We are gratified that yet another court has determined the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to be unconstitutional. We are very proud of both Robbie and Edie for their leadership on this critical civil rights issue. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted in her remarks before the United Nations, combating laws which discriminate against gay men and lesbians is an important step to reducing stigma and creating a society in which all people are valued and able to access health care which are critical steps as we move towards creating an AIDS-free generation.”

GMHC Board Member, and lead attorney in the case, Roberta Kaplan, Esq. of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison, explained, “It is only because of the efforts of people like Edie Windsor and those who founded and sustained organizations like GMHC that allowed this victory to happen. As Chief Judge Jacobs so eloquently wrote, ‘Ninety years of discrimination is enough.’ We can never show enough gratitude for prior generations like Edie's who lived through and struggled against that discrimination, particularly when so many of those men and women sadly did not survive to see this day.”

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About GMHC
GMHC is a not-for-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based organization committed to national leadership in the fight against AIDS.  We provide prevention and care services to men, women and families that are living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS in New York City.  We advocate for scientific, evidence-based public health solutions for hundreds of thousands worldwide.