Family Research Council Urges the First Circuit to Defend Marriage

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Apr 04, 2012, 01:28 ET

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit heard oral arguments today in Gill v. Office of Personnel Management and Massachusetts v. United States. Gill is an appeal of Judge Joseph Louis Tauro's July 2010 decision holding that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutionally discriminates against homosexuals. For purposes of federal law, DOMA reserves the terms "marriage" and "spouse" to opposite-sex couples.

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The Family Research Council (FRC), in conjunction with the Thomas More Society (Chicago), filed an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief in this case unequivocally supporting DOMA's constitutionality.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins made the following comments about the case:

"The Defense of Marriage Act recognizes the uniquely important role that marriage between a man and a woman plays in society, encouraging the reproduction of the human race and the joint nurture of children by complementary partners – a married mother and father.

"DOMA ensures that federal law reflects our national consensus on marriage and that states will not have a radical redefinition of marriage forced upon them by other states.

"In every one of the 31 states where the definition of marriage has appeared on the ballot, voters have upheld the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. This demonstrates that a strong consensus remains in favor of defining marriage as it always has been understood.

"FRC thanks House Speaker John Boehner for taking the steps needed to defend DOMA after President Obama abandoned his constitutional duty to defend federal statutes from constitutional challenges. Speaker Boehner's choice of Paul Clement as his legal advocate defending marriage could not have been more inspired."

To read FRC's amicus brief in the case, click here: http://www.frc.org/legalbrief/commonwealth-of-massachusetts-v-us-department-of-health-and-human-services

SOURCE Family Research Council