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Pocan Statement on One-Year Anniversary of Supreme Court’s Decision Striking Down DOMA

June 26, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), a co-chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, today issued the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's historic decisions in United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry, which struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and dismissed the California's Prop 8 case on a lack of standing:

"One year ago today, the Supreme Court came down on the side of equality, justice and love by striking down the Defense of Marriage Act and dismissing the Perry case. Today, thousands of loving gay and lesbian couples have their marriage recognized by the federal government and enjoy benefits afforded to them equally under the law.

"Since the Supreme Court struck down DOMA, thirteen out of thirteen federal court rulings striking down state marriage bans have cited the Windsor opinion and not a single ban on gay marriage has survived a federal court challenge.

"Yet until all 50 states in our union recognize all relationships equally and all citizens equally under the law, there will be too many people left behind merely for who they are and whom they love. I am now more confident than ever that full marriage equality is a question not of if, but when."

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Issues:Equality