Congratulations to all the same-sex couples out there.  The 17-year-old Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that denies federal benefits — like Social Security benefits or the ability to file joint tax returns — to same-sex couples legally married has been struck down by Justice Anthony Kennedy who wrote, “DOMA is unconstitutional as a deprivation of the liberty of the person protected by the Fifth Amendment”.  I completely agree!

All marriages should be recognized as legal, so state and federal benefits can be received.  Applying your personal religious beliefs should be done on an individual basis. This is why separation of church and state is so important – let each religion choose what they believe concerning marriage, because, applying Christian standards to all marriages is NOT freedom of religion.

For those who don’t know, DOMA impacts around 1,100 federal laws, including veterans’ benefits, family medical leave and tax laws. Currently, there are about 130,000 married same-sex couples in the United States who up to this point were treated as unmarried as it pertained to those federal laws.  That’s all changing now!  🙂

It’s a wonderful thing to watch as people wake up to their inner kindness. It all starts with accepting the differences of others. One day we will love each other for all those differences that make us each so special.