Attorneys for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) filed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after it ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional the Washington Blade is reporting.
Drew Hammill, spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), told the news source that House Republicans notified the Democratic leadership counsel that an appeal was filed to the Supreme Court.
Drew Hammill, spokesperson for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), told the Washington Blade on Friday afternoon that House Republicans had notified Democratic leadership counsel filed an appeal to the Supreme Court.
According to the Washington Blade:
The court ruling that was appealed was the First Circuit Court of Appeals decision in the cases of Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, which was filed by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Department of Health & Human Services. On May 31, the appellate court issued a decision that DOMA was unconstitutional as a result of both cases.
DOMA has seen its fair share of change in favor of LGBT allies and activists. In February 2011, the Obama administration announced it would no longer defend DOMA as a constitutional practice. But Republicans have still aimed to uphold the discriminatory law. In that same year, Boehner and the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group aimed to defend DOMA after a 3-2 vote favored to protect the law in the administration’s stead.
Despite efforts by the GOP to uphold DOMA, six federal courts have found that DOMA is an unconstitutional act against LGBTs in America.
