New Hampshire has signed on to two amicus briefs to the United States Supreme Court defending the right for same-sex couples to marry.
The briefs encourage the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and California’s Proposition 8.
“Because encouraging strong marriages for loving couples strengthens families and communities. We are urging the Supreme Court to strike down these discriminatory measures because all New Hampshire married couples should receive fair and equal treatment from the federal government,” said Governor Maggie Hassan.
The briefs, which have also been signed onto by Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Washington, and the District of Columbia, have been filed in two cases, Windsor v. United States, which challenges DOMA, and Hollingsworth v. Perry, which challenges California’s ban on same-sex marriages.
In the briefs, the states argue that the DOMA and Prop 8 harm families by denying the legal and social benefits of marriage to same-sex couples and their children.
“DOMA departs from tradition by seeking to define domestic relations through federal law, and compels New Hampshire to discriminate among our own lawfully married couples. New Hampshire has a compelling interest in ensuring we can protect the rights the legislature has provided to our citizens. In addition, we urge the Court to strike Proposition 8 down because all Americans have a right to fair and equal treatment,” Attorney General Delaney said.
