9th Circuit Tells DOMA Where To Stick It

Dear DOMA,

I had a friend who once told me a story involving a shoulder-length latex glove and a can of Crisco.

I'll spare you the details, DOMA, because I know you're kind of a prude.

I'd just like you to know that if you're unsure what that uncomfortable feeling is...

I think it's because someone forgot the can of Crisco.

Love,
Going to the Chapel


The rest of you can check the story here.

From the snippet:

"The denial of federal benefits to same-sex spouses cannot be justified simply by a distaste for or disapproval of same-sex marriage or a desire to deprive same-sex spouses benefits available to other spouses in order to discourage exercising a legal right afforded them by the state," Reinhardt wrote in his Feb. 2 order....

Both orders are internal employee grievance decisions. Both found in favor of the gay employees, directing court administrators to give health insurance benefits to their spouses. The orders also represent direct challenges to DOMA, the 1996 act that forbids the federal government from treating same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose.

A lawyer for the staff attorney said this is believed to be the first time federal employees will get benefits covering a same-sex spouse.

[skip]

Reinhardt and Kozinski wrote the orders in their roles as hearing officers for some circuit employee disputes."

Apparently, the full story will run tomorrow in the Los Angeles Daily Journal. And, probably, the rest of the press.