U.S. Will Not Defend Gay Marriage Ban

05:13

February 23, 2011

The Defense Of Marriage Act is being challenged in courts across the country, including here in Boston. The president has long said he was personally opposed to DOMA, and his Department of Justice only defended the law in the courts out of obligation.

Not anymore. The Obama administration says a federal law that bans recognition of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and has directed the Justice Department not to defend the ban.

That decision could have wide-reaching implications for gay marriage cases across the country, including a few that are pending here in Massachusetts.

Guests:

Laurence Tribe, professor of constitutional law, Harvard University
Mary Bonato, Civil Rights project director, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD)

Here's the Department of Justice's release, on Scribd.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/49411572/DOJrelease

This segment aired on February 23, 2011.