A proposal to allow federal recognition for same-sex couples gets a rare, official airing today before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
The committee is holding a hearing on legislation that would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage for federal purposes as between a man and a woman. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sponsors the bill, and it has 27 cosponsors, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).
Those testifying include three House members; people in same-sex relationships who have been denied federal benefits; and lawyers and activists on both sides, including the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s M. Edward Whelan III and Freedom to Marry’s Evan Wolfson.
Live video of today’s hearing is available here.
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