Google, Ebay, Microsoft, Starbucks,
Electronic Arts (EA) and Zynga are among the 70 companies,
professional organizations and municipalities opposed to the Defense
of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bans federal agencies from recognizing
the legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
The employers filed an amicus
brief urging the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to find portions
of the act unconstitutional in Golinski v. Office of Personnel
Management.
“DOMA presents a number of problems
for businesses like EA, as it creates regulatory, tax, and
discrimination complications for employers, and that's why we're
standing against it,” gamemaker Electronic Arts said in a blog post
at its website. “The underlying lawsuit impacts all employers no
matter how big or small, and no matter the industry, and we encourage
other businesses to join these efforts.”
(Related: Electronic
Arts thanked for including gay relationships in its games.)
Federal employee Karen Golinski sued
the government after her employer refused to extend health-care
coverage to her wife. The Office of Personnel Management argued that
DOMA blocked such coverage. In February, U.S District Judge Jeffrey
S. White found Section 3 of DOMA to be unconstitutional.
House lawyers at the direction of House
Speaker John Boehner appealed the ruling.
Earlier this month, the
White House asked the Supreme Court to review the case.