Senator Franken Skewers Anti-Gay Distortions at DOMA Hearing

Earlier today, at the Senate Judiciary Committee’s much-anticipated, landmark hearing on the discriminatory so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) took a witness from Focus on the Family to task for factual inaccuracies in his hearing testimony that could be read to disparage gay and lesbian-led families.

You can view the exchange here:

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It definitely ranks as one of my favorite congressional hearing moments in recent memory. Watch and enjoy. It was crystal clear at today’s hearing that there’s absolutely no rational argument one can credibly muster to defend the senseless discrimination that DOMA represents. It’s pretty telling that the original congressional author of DOMA is now calling for its repeal.

I hope you will all join with the ACLU in urging your members of Congress to support the Respect for Marriage Act. This legislation would repeal DOMA in its entirety, as well as provide all married couples certainty that regardless of where they travel or move in the country, they will not be treated as strangers under federal law.

It’s time to put DOMA – an ugly relic of a bigoted and discriminatory past – where it belongs, in the dumpster.

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