President Obama's leadership on marriage equality is proving to have a major impact, form national
organizations and local polling. Anti-equality forces set a record, but it's probably not
one they wanted. And DOMA is ruled unconstitutional in a fifth federal case.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume and welcome to Marriage News
Watch for May 28, 2012.
There've been more high-profile endorsements for marriage equality, starting with the NAACP.
NAACP President and CEO Ben Jealous told reporters, "The NAACP's support for marriage equality
is deeply rooted in the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution and equal protection
of all people."
Within days of that announcement, former Secretary of State Colin Powell stated his support President
Obama's endorsement of marriage equality. Powell told CNN that this "it seems to me
is the way we should be moving in this country."
These attitudes are becoming increasingly commonplace. A new poll shows Americans support
marriage equality by a margin of 53 to 39 percent. That puts anti-equality forces at
their lowest ever recorded levels.
Those national numbers are consistent with new numbers coming out of individual states.
In Maryland, marriage is likely to be on the ballot this fall. And a new survey shows voters
upholding equality by 57 to 37 percent.
Among Maryland's African Americans, 55 percent say they'll vote for the marriage equality
law, with 36 percent opposed. That's a complete reversal from two months ago, when the measure
was losing by 39 to 56.
A federal district court in California has ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act violates
the United States Constitution. Judge Claudia Wilken's ruling was based heavily on AFER's
victories in the case against Proposition 8. As multiple judges have now found with
Prop 8, Wilken ruled that DOMA does not advance a "legitimate government interest." This is
now the fifth federal case in which a court has ruled against DOMA.
{On-screen graphic: Dragovich v. Dept of Treasury (May 2012)
Golinski v. OPM (February 2012)
In re Balas (June 2011)
Gill v. OPM (July 2010)
Massachusetts v. HHS (July 2010)
}
For more on AFER's federal case to overturn Proposition 8, visit AFER.org. At the American
Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume. We'll see you next week.
