Gay current and retired federal
employees are 'cautiously optimistic' about the Supreme Court
agreeing to hear a Defense of Marriage (DOMA) case.
DOMA is the 1996 law which prohibits
federal agencies from recognizing the legal marriages of gay and
lesbian couples.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court
agreed to hear a case related to the law. The plaintiff in Windsor
v. United States, Edith Windsor,
wants the IRS to
recognize her 2007 marriage, but striking down the law would likely
affect all federal agencies.
(Related: Supreme
Court to hear gay marriage-related Prop 8, DOMA cases.)
“We're very, very hopeful on our
end,” Joanne Pedersen, an Office of Naval Intelligence retiree,
told The
Washington Post. “It would allow me to put my wife on my
health insurance. And as a federal retiree, that would greatly
improve our finances.”
“I'm cautiously optimistic,” said
Nancy Gill, a Postal Service employee. “I'm a positive thinker.”
Pedersen and Gill are represented by
GLAD, the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, in a separate
case challenging the constitutionality of DOMA.
Karen Golinski, a federal lawyer who is
represented by Lambda Legal, said: “The ramifications of a decision
… are really very huge.”
While legislation to repeal DOMA has
been introduced in Congress, it has yet to gather sufficient support
for passage, and appears unlikely to pass in the coming legislative
session.