Question about DOMA and gay marriage

[FoxInSox]

I just read about the Defense of Marriage Act on Wikipedia. It passed in 1996, when I was a junior in high school, but I'm just now learning about it.

First of all, I don't really get how such an act was constitutional, but the article addressed that.

I am still confused about something, though. If the DOMA says that no state can allow marriage between two people of the same gender, then how is it that some states do currently allow gay marriage?

Thank you,
Michelle

[yeskararocks]

Hey FoxInSox, I actually read that book to my daughter last night. LOL :)

So, the Defense of Marriage Act is totally jacked, but it doesn't prohibit same-sex marriage. It says that other states do not have to recognize a marriage from another state where it is legal. It also changed the definition of the words 'marriage' and 'spouse' to only be used for opposite sex couples. Like I said, jacked. It's something else on the law books that singles out LGBTQ folks and says. Hey you, we are not interested in treating you as equals and if by chance you find someone that will treat you equally...that doesn't mean anyone else has to.

www.lectlaw.com/files/leg23.htm

Kara :)

[CaptainSnoopy]

Another fine piece of legislation passed during the Clinton administration and now that I am seeing some Clinton peeps entering the cabinet...I am fearing the change promised is becoming a reboot of an old franchise. I really hope we did not screw the pooch here, cuz if we did, I want a refund on my t shirt.

[Gennee]

Another fine piece of legislation passed during the Clinton administration and now that I am seeing some Clinton peeps entering the cabinet...I am fearing the change promised is becoming a reboot of an old franchise. I really hope we did not screw the pooch here, cuz if we did, I want a refund on my t shirt.

That is a concern of mine, too.

Gennee

[CaptainSnoopy]

That is a concern of mine, too.

Gennee
I am still hopeful. He has not been sworn in yet...but every so often I get this queasy feeling on many fronts. If this stuff turns into the usual campaign rhetoric, I will abstain from national elections from this point forward.

See, I can email my mayor and he will contact me back. I know where my local rep lives and we like the same diner. If they lie to me...they have to face me. If I yap about the pothole on Janes Ave they know the pothole I'm complaining about. If the vote for or against legislation...I have the same access.

An Email to Obama or Bush or Clinton gets read by whom?

Yeah, I hope I am wrong, but I am getting a wee bit nervous as I see the cabinet form.

[tdogg]

I believe Obama is being fairly choosy in his decisions. They are being backgrounded, and he has chosen them for a set of qualities that he feels will work out with how he plans on running his presidency. He is calm, cool, and collected, but confident and smart enough to know how to still get the job done even if he may not have 100% cooperation. He doesn't want a bunch of yes-people, but I have no doubt he knows when to stand firm no matter the opinion of his staff.

Today is a new day, it's a new Hillary (and new others as well). The mindset is completely different. With the democratic majority (though some moderate to be sure) in both the house and senate, Obama won't be up against total opposition for a lot of what he wants to get done in his first term. I think he's made some wise decisions, and I'm excited to see how it pans out. I also do not think he would hesitate to at least look into possibly changing things up if the first couple of years don't go as well as hoped.

[tdogg]

By the way, I believe when Hillary was running for the democratic nomination, she mentioned wanting to do away with DOMA. Obama definitely wants to do away with DADT and also pass a federal hate crimes bill, and it's possible he'll be in favor of doing way with the DOMA, he has opposed the various state anti-gay marriage initiatives that passed.

[CaptainSnoopy]

I am sorry, but this cabinet he has...I have become the state of Missouri. Show me the change....because now I am watching and holding yer butt to your promises to me. With full party control he has no one to blame if he cannot deliver. Congress could do to him like they did to Carter. Carter never got the chance to do the things he wanted because his own party threw him under the bus. This cabinet is strange bedfellows.

[Matt Algren]

I am sorry, but this cabinet he has...I have become the state of Missouri. Show me the change....because now I am watching and holding yer butt to your promises to me. With full party control he has no one to blame if he cannot deliver. Congress could do to him like they did to Carter. Carter never got the chance to do the things he wanted because his own party threw him under the bus. This cabinet is strange bedfellows.

'Change' doesn't mean he should only pick inexperienced people for his cabinet. Since he's a Democrat, it's only natural that some of them will have experience in the most recent Democratic administration. As for strange bedfellows, Lincoln did the same thing, and Obama's known to value the way Lincoln worked.

[CaptainSnoopy]

Experience in the cabinet is not my problem. Competent experience is my problem. I like Hillary in here and I like the secretary of treasury choices...and....my comfort level ends there. Lincoln may have known the measure of the man better than Obama does in this instance. Or maybe he sees something. I dunno...I went to rallies, I had signs in my lawn for the first time...but just like always...after the guy wins I am seeing a little side step here...a little change in verbalization here..and I am not liking it. I will wait and see. He needs to prove it. Party is over, we were thrilled..now get the peeps together and chat about it this change and the problems and hit em head on or admit you just lied in the job interview....which none of them ever do.

[tdogg]

Let's give Obama a chance to get his staff together and get to office, before we start judging whether or not he is doing his job adequately. He's a smart man, he's not going to put together a bad cabinet. He has reasons for choosing certain people, we have to trust him to an extent.

One of the major hurdles he will have is what he can reasonable get done in his first year or two. He gave us all a great amount of hope and with that comes expectations. But reality is often different than a dream. I think patience is the key. He has a huge mess to work through left by 8 years of Bush and his cronies. Don't expect miracles in the first two years. You might not even see much 'change' from your point of view. But do not doubt that he is working from within. Pretty much anything he does is going to be a huge chance from what we have now.

Keep the faith Patrick. Don't rule Obama down and out if you don't see a great number of great things at first. And, if after his first term you decide there wasn't enough change for you, then you don't have to vote for him in 2012. I think he's going to be great and I'm impressed enough by what he is doing right now. I can't wait for him to take office.

[BenL]

FoxInSox,

Here's what DOMA means in microcosm:

Last week, being a man of a certain age, I went to my local Social Security office to apply for Medicare. For some reason, they require an in-person interview. You can't sign up on the Internet. (Well, one reason is you have to provide identification.)

Interviewer: Are you married?

Me: Yes.

Interviewer: What is your spouse's name?

Me: Charles L____.

I then explained that my husband is a female-to-male transsexual, and that when we were married in 1974, we had a valid marriage license.

Interviewer: Has he changed his name in the courts?

Me: Yes.

Interviewer: Has he changed his gender with Social Security?

Me: Yes.

Interviewer: Then I can't list you as married. As far as the federal government is concerned you're single.

So much for the institution of marriage and "until death do us part." And so much for survivor benefits if something happens to me.

[Petrese]

It is a new day, 12 years later and a few things have changed, not ignoring H8 but the attitude of a lot of people is diffferent than 12 years back. Time will tell,