Has the GOP finally changed its stance on gay marriage Not as a whole, but more than 100 Republican officials are voicing their support for same-gender-marriage rights. This week, they signed a brief seeking to persuade the Supreme Court to strike down Proposition 8, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and similar same-gender-marriage bans.
More than 200 corporations also have filed a separate brief urging the Supreme Court to overturn DOMA. These companies include: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boston Scientific, Ernst & Young, Exelon, Johnson & Johnson, Marriott International, MassMutual, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Microsoft, New York Life, The Ogilvy Group, Pfizer, State Street Corporation, Xerox and The Walt Disney Company.
The Republicans’ brief presents the Supreme Court justices with a detailed argument about the discrimination Prop 8 and DOMA inflict. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear cases on Prop 8 and DOMA legislation starting next week, with a final decision expected before the summer. The rulings on these two major cases could impact nationally the definition of marriage and same-gender couples’ right to wed, as previously reported by Fair360, formerly DiversityInc. Both legislations define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
