U.S. Court of Appeals Deems Defense of Marriage Act Unconstitutional

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York ruled Thursday that Section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional because it discriminates against married same-sex couples.

Attorney general Eric Schneiderman filed a brief last month with Vermont and Connecticut arguing the DOMA violates same-sex couples’ right to equal protection under the U.S. Constitution and also constitutes a sweeping intrusion into the state's regulation of marriage.