In a victory for gay rights in the United States, a district court judge in Massachusetts has ruled that a federal ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Judge Joseph Tauro in Boston backed the rights of gay couples in two separate challenges to the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), on the grounds that it interferes with a state's right to define marriage. Massachusetts had argued DOMA denied benefits to same-sex couples in the state, where such unions have been legal since 2004. Tauro agreed with the state's argument and said DOMA forces Massachusetts to discriminate against its own citizens. In a ruling in a separate case filed by Gays
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 9th July 2010 - 12:30pm