DOMA Hearing Very Pointed

Today was a gay day down on the waterfront, according to an excellent report by Bay Windows on the Gill case. I could not be there for the testimony on the suit against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) section 3, but BW's Lisa Keen was and sent well-written and inspiring coverage.

Small rant on big media: This is as Joe Biden might say a big f* deal. The outcome of the Gill suit could well accelerate and federalize the inevitable acceptance of same sex marriage in this socially slow nation. Where was the coverage of the two big Boston dailies, the broadcast, blah blah? Well, the weekly LGBT-oriented weekly, Bay Windows, was there. They at least care what we learn about crucial topics. Later today, WBZ did run OK coverage, citing plaintiffs here.

Read the whole article; Keen's a good enough writer for that. To cut to her conclusions:

• U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Tauro does not come in with obvious bias and is not buying any political ploys.
• Right away, he cut to essentials, discarding chat about suspect classes and zeroing in on why the government thinks marriage should suddenly move from state to federal control. Department of Justice attorney Scott Simpson admitted that until DOMA, marriage was strictly per-state definition.

The next round in this is suit (almost certain to end up in the U.S. Supreme Court) is on Wednesday, May 26th, when Massachusetts' AG office argues its own attack on section 3 of DOMA.

For the blander take on today, see the GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) version here. The BW coverage is better, but GLAD's has clips of its Civil Rights Project Director Mary L. Bonauto, who argued the case today.

Friday Follow-Up: The local and nearby press sort of covered the court session.

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Tags: massmarrier, GLAD, Gill, federal court, DOMA, same-sex marriage