Obama Administration Compared Same-Sex Marriage to Incest

Last month California's Supreme Court ruled to uphold Proposition 8, the November initiative that amended the California Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.  A gay couple married under California law prior to the passing of Prop 8 is now challenging the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in federal court.  DOMA is the federal law that protects the rights of states to not recognize same-sex marriages and denies same-sex couples federal benefits. 

In response to the court challenge, the Department of Justice presented a brief defending DOMA.  According the the New York Times, in the brief the DOJ claims that it is reasonable for the states to favor heterosexual marriages because they are "traditional and universally recognized form of marriage."  The Justice Department goes on to compare same-sex marriage to incest, stating that states do not have to recognize marriages between cousins or an uncle to a niece! 

This is the same administration that works for our President who claimed he would work hard to over turn the Defense of Marriage Act.  Americans, gay and straight, voted for Barack Obama because they understood he believed in equality, because we felt that he believed it was time for everyone to be treated like human beings, not like incestious people who deserve less than their neighbors. 

Our gay friends and family and gay Americans everywhere deserve better and Barack Obama promised it to them.  What a shameful way to usher in Capitol Pride Week last week.