Norton Applauds Obama Administration for Historic Progress on LGBT Rights, Post-Windsor, Calls on Congress to Provide Full Equality

WASHINGTON, DC – On the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's historic Windsor decision, which struck down Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) celebrated the Obama administration's announcement today that it had extended federal benefits to same-sex couples wherever permissible under federal law, including the issuance of rules today by the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Office of Personnel Management extending Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) benefits to all same-sex couples.

In the United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court struck down the provision in DOMA that defined a "marriage" as a union only between a man and a woman and "spouse" as members of the opposite sex. As a result of Windsor, the Administration has reviewed federal laws to ensure that this decision would become fully implemented for federal benefits.

DOL's proposed rule would allow an employee in a legal same-sex marriage to take FMLA leave for a spouse or family member. Under this rule, the law of the state where the same-sex couple was married would apply, therefore, granting FMLA benefits to the couple regardless of their domicile.

Norton, a leading champion for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights, called on Congress to immediately take up legislation to permit the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration to extend the remaining federal benefits, as well as to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

"The Supreme Court opened the door, but I give great credit to the President and Attorney General Holder, who led the Administration's post-Windsor review of federal benefits, for moving comprehensively to extend federal benefits to same-sex couples," Norton said. "After it issues its announced rule prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT individuals, the Administration will have fully exercised its authority to treat same-sex couples as equal American citizens. The President has set the example for Congress. It is way past time for Congress to fully repeal DOMA, pass ENDA and extend the remaining federal benefits to all same-sex couples."

Published: June 20, 2014