NJDC Statement on One Year Anniversary of U.S. v. Windsor

Elanna Cahn — June 26, 2014 – 10:58 am | Civil Rights Comments (0) Add a comment

One year ago today, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional. For over 16 years, DOMA had restricted the U.S. federal interpretation of “marriage” to apply only to heterosexual unions, effectively denying same-sex couples their civil rights and federal benefits. The U.S. v. Windsor decision invalidated DOMA and set a new and historic legal precedent, redefining the U.S. federal interpretation of “marriage,” and granting federal benefits to same-sex couples. Already U.S. v. Windsor has led to a wave of states recognizing same-sex marriage, adding eight more states to the column of states with same-sex marriage since the landmark decision.

Today, the National Jewish Democratic Council celebrates this decision. The ruling was a major victory for marriage equality and gay rights advocates and has led to more progress in our collective understanding of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

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