NEW: Supreme Court Strikes Down DOMA

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

GoLocalWorcester News Team

The Supreme Court has struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a law that prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

In a 5-4 ruling, the court struck Section 3, a provision of DOMA that denies federal benefits–like Social Security benefits or the ability to file joint tax returns–to same-sex couples legally married.

"DOMA is unconstitutional as a deprivation of the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the Fifth Amendment," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority.

The Supreme Court's ruling today will immediately impact 130,000 legally married same-sex couples who were previously denied federal benefits under Section 3. The reach of the Court's decision is considerable, as DOMA affects more than 1,000 federal laws, including veterans' benefits, family medical leave and tax laws.

Governor Deval Patrick

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick issued the following statement regarding the ruling:

“By affirming the principle that people come before their government as equals, today's Supreme Court decision striking down DOMA is a win for the American people. I applaud the Court's decision on Prop 8 in California as well. Freedom includes keeping government out of people’s most personal and intimate choices, and affirming human dignity. Today's decisions do that.”