DOMA Hearing Only Two Days Away

July 18, 2011

This Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will be holding the first hearing on the Respect for Marriage Act, an act that would repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This will be the first hearing-ever on repealing this discriminatory law that instilled federal marriage discrimination against same-sex couples for fifteen years.

Two experts witnesses will testify as well as several other witnesses who have been personally affected by DOMA. Two of these witnesses are people who we are already familiar with.

Evan Wolfson, Founder and President of Freedom to Marry, will be one of the two expert witnesses testifying this Wednesday. Evan will bring his fifteen years of experience as the founder and a leader of the marriage movement in this country in his testimony this Wednesday. Evan was co-counsel of the historic Hawaii marriage case, served as marriage project director for Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund, and was named one of TIME magazines “100 Most Influential People in the World.” He is also the author of “Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People’s Right to Marry”. As one of the most prominent voices in this movement and a person who has been personally affected by this discriminatory law, Evan’s testimony will no doubt win hearts and minds and educate the SJC on why marriage matters.

Ron Wallen will also be testifying at the hearing this week about who DOMA has cost him his home after the death of his spouse and partner for 58 years, Tom Carrollo. Here is Ron’s story:



This week, Ron will be one of three witnesses who will be speaking about why marriage matters and how DOMA harms real couples.

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