Sen. Patrick Leahy
“Today, this nation took a major step toward full equality because the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act. Today’s ruling confirms my belief that the Constitution protects the rights of all Americans, and that no one should suffer from discrimination based on who they love. Edith Windsor and thousands of gay and lesbian individuals and families across the country have had their rights vindicated by the Supreme Court’s decision. I share the joy of those families this morning, although there is still work to be done. This ruling upholds the motto engraved in Vermont marble above the Supreme Court building that declares “Equal justice under the law.”
“Section 3 of DOMA had defined marriage for purposes of federal law as “only a legal union between one man and one woman,” excluding all other lawfully married couples from all the federal responsibilities and rights of marriage. That does not represent the values we hold as Americans. All couples who are lawfully married under state law, including in Vermont, should be entitled to the same federal protections afforded to all other married couples. We all deserve equal protection under the law, and the Supreme Court has upheld that vital principle. This decision means that we no longer have a tier of second-class marriages in this nation and in the State of Vermont. I applaud this important milestone in the continued march toward equality and pledge to work to ensure that all our laws respect the rights of every American.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders
“This is good news for all Americans who believe in the words carved in marble on the front of the Supreme Court building, equal justice under law. But it is a special victory for gays and lesbians married in Vermont and the increasing number of other states that followed our lead in granting same-sex couples the same rights as everyone else,” Sanders said.
Rep. Peter Welch
“This is an historic day for our country. The highest court in the land has properly thrown on the trash heap of history a discriminatory law that denies rights to Americans based on who they love. With this uplifting decision, the Court is sending a clear message to our country: the days of denying rights to same-sex couples are numbered. As Vermonters affirmed years ago, all Americans are equal under the law regardless of sexual orientation. There is much more work to be done, but this is a positive step on the inevitable path to full equality. The Court should now finish the job and knock down state laws banning marriage equality.”
Gov. Peter Shumlin
“Today’s DOMA decision is a critical step toward equality for all families. Married same-sex couples in a dozen states nationwide now cannot be deprived by the federal government of the rights and benefits they deserve. This is an historic decision. In Vermont, we have known for a long time that all of us, regardless of whether we are straight or gay, deserve the same right to marry the person we love. I will always remember with immense pride the day we made Vermont the first state to enact same-sex marriage through legislation. It was a hard fight, but it was the right fight. While it helped pave the way for the Court’s DOMA decision today, it is clear we have more to do to ensure equality for all across America. This is a matter of human rights, of true dignity and respect for all.”
Karen Richards, executive director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission
“This is an incredibly important decision for thousands of married same-sex Vermonters and their children. To give such a wide range of benefits to some married couples while denying them to those in same-sex marriages perpetuates an unacceptable inequality.”
Dottie Deans, Vermont Democratic Party Chair
“I’m thrilled to see the Supreme Court affirm the self-evident value that every citizen in this nation must be treated equally under the law,” said Deans. “DOMA will no longer be a barrier to American citizens. I am glad that the highest court in the land agrees with what Vermonters have known for years – that it is not acceptable to block people from equal protections under the law based on their sexual orientation. For the tens of thousands of Americans who have been discriminated against and endured years of struggle, this decision could not have came soon enough.”
House Speaker Shap Smith
“I join Vermonters and Americans today in applauding the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. With this decision, we take one step further toward ensuring equality for all people. This day is particularly monumental for gay and lesbian families who have been married in Vermont, and the other twelve states who followed our lead in recognizing marriage for all couples. The day that Vermont became the first state to enact same-sex marriage through legislation is one of my proudest memories. I am thrilled that we played a part in laying the groundwork for today’s DOMA decision, and I look forward to watching the progress made throughout the states to provide equality for all people under both State and Federal law.”
Attorney General Bill Sorrell
“This is a good day for civil rights. All of those legally married under Vermont law will be entitled to equal treatment under federal law.
While praising the Court’s ruling, the Attorney General also observed that “this great result was achieved not by lawyers and judges, but by ordinary Americans, including many Vermonters, who have fought for decades to achieve equality and fairness. This is a day for all Vermonters to celebrate.”
