WASHINGTON: Gay rights advocates in the US have won another victory in their fight for equal treatment under the law, with the appeals court in New York striking down a key part of the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) and upholding for the first time that gays and lesbians are a minority group deserving of special protection from discrimination under the constitution.
The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan joined a growing number of federal judges in New England and California who have ruled that the US government may not deny equal federal benefits to legally married gay couples.