"It's so hard to say why it matters. Why marriage is different. But marriage is different. It has to do with our dignity altogether - our dignity as human beings. and our being able to be who we are - openly." Edith "Edie" Windsor
Edie is right. It is difficult to articulate
why it matters - but it's clear it
does . It matters for pragmatic reasons, like avoiding steep inheritance taxes not faced by straight married couples, and it matters for many non-practical reasons - like demonstrating, in one word, depth of commitment.
Same sex couples should be able to experience all of the benefits (and challenges) of marriage just like straight couples. While the battle to win marriage equality within individual states continues to be crucial, it needs to be waged on the federal level as well. The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA bars federal recognition of same sex marriages by defining marriage for all federal purposes as a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.
This week, the ACLU stepped up the fight by filing a lawsuit on behalf of Edie Windsor, a lesbian woman married in Canada, but who's marriage was not recognized by the United States because of "DOMA". Edie shared her life with her late spouse, Thea Spyer, for 44 years. The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the "Defense of Marriage Act".
At the heart of our lawsuit is a beautiful story of love and commitment of a couple that was together for 44 years.
Please watch the video (you may want some tissues nearby), and then take action