John Kerry Issues Harsh Statement Against DOMA

John Kerry, who voted against the Defense of Marriage Act back in 1996, recently issued a harsh statement against the policy in support of Massachusetts' lawsuit against it. He also questions the authority of Congress to have had passed it.

“In 1996, I voted against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act not just because I believed it was nothing more than a fundamentally political ploy to divide Americans, but because it is unconstitutional. Thirteen years later, I still defy you to find a single Senator who can credibly argue that it is within the Senate’s power to strip away the word or spirit of a constitutional clause by simple statute. DOMA should never have passed and should never have become the law of the land. Unconstitutional and fundamentally unfair, today the human cost is especially clear and compelling. Denying same sex couples the same rights and protections under the law as enjoyed by opposite sex couples has absolutely nothing to do with defending marriage. This lawsuit is a necessary step in ensuring everyone in Massachusetts can live their lives and raise their families secure in the knowledge that their commitment to each other doesn’t make them any less an American than their heterosexual families, friends and neighbors."

(Read his full statement.)

It's a shame he didn't defeat Bush in 2004.

Change.org points out that in 1996, Kerry was the only Senator up for re-election that voted against it. We need more courageous allies like Kerry.

Makes you wonder if he had won the presidency. But more pertinent, if he'll come out in support for full federal marriage equality, or for that matter, full federal equality for all LGBT.