New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler on
Thursday cheered gay rights victories on election night and
challenged colleagues to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),
the 1996 law which forbids federal agencies from recognizing the
legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
Nadler is the House sponsor of the
Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA.
While the Supreme Court is likely to
hear a DOMA-related case this session, a ruling striking down the law
would leave an uneven legal landscape for married couples.
Provisions in the Respect for Marriage Act would allow the
federal government to recognize such marriages even in the case where
a couple lives in a state where marriage equality is not legal. For
example, the federal government would recognize the Massachusetts
marriage of a gay couple living in Ohio, where they are not allowed
to marry.
“This week's progress in advancing
the rights of LGBT Americans is undeniable,” Nadler said in a
statement. “With victory for marriage equality initiatives in
three states, the election of my friend Tammy Baldwin as the first
openly gay U.S. Senator, the election of a record number of openly
LGBT Members of the House, and the reelection of a President who
supports the freedom of all Americans to legally marry whichever
person they choose, we have made significant strides toward equality.
I am elated by this progress and I look forward to returning to
Congress with the knowledge that our nation is truly changing.”
“I also would like to take this
profound moment in our national history to challenge my colleagues in
Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, governors and state
legislators across the country, and people in positions of power
everywhere to join our movement now. Now is the time for courageous
leadership that will guide Americans toward a not-so-distant future
when ALL Americans are truly equal. I urge you to join us now or you
will become increasingly irrelevant, isolated, and ignored amidst an
unmistakable reality. So, let us pass the Respect for Marriage
Act to repeal DOMA, let us achieve marriage equality in each
state, and let us declare that LGBT Americans have the same rights to
love, happiness, family, and equality as all Americans – and let us
do it NOW.”