Quigley joins other cosponsors at introduction of bill to repeal DOMA
Tue. September 15, 2009 12:00 AM by ChicagoPride.com News Staff
rep. quigley speaks at doma repeal press conference today
Washington, D.C. -
At a press event Tuesday, Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) joined Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and other lead cosponsors to introduce new legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
DOMA was signed into law by President Bill Clinton 13 years ago on September 21. The law defines marriage as a heterosexual union for federal agencies and allows states to ignore gay marriages performed by other states. Under DOMA legally married gay and lesbian couples cannot access federal benefits, including Social Security and pensions.
The bill goes by the short title of the Respect for Marriage Act of 2009. Surrounded by an army of gay leaders, the nine-term Democratic congressman told reporters that the bill enjoys the support of 90 co-sponsors.
"Today, in supporting this Act, I am an arch conservative," said Quigley during today's press conference. "Why is that? Because when you think about it, what have the conservatives said for all time about government's role? That government's role is to stay out of people's personal lives. "
"This will allow people privacy and the right to make decisions that are most important to them. But most of all, it is about respect for what they decide to do with their own lives as long as they're not hurting anyone else. So what, I would ask, is a more intimate, more important, more critical decision, a more sacred decision than who we love—and how we express that love?"
Openly gay legislators Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Colorado Congressman Jared Polis also spoke at the event.
Congress' most powerful openly gay representative says he won't back the effort.
Representative Barney Frank, a democrat from Massachusetts, said last week that passage of the bill this year was unlikely.
"It's not anything that's achievable in the near term," Frank told gay weekly The Washington Blade.
"I think getting [the Employment Non-Discrimination Act], a repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell,' and full domestic partner benefits for federal employees will take up all of what we can do and maybe more in this Congress."
The bill does not repeal DOMA entirely, states would still be allowed to ignore gay marriages performed outside their borders, but it would recognize marriages even in states wh
An emerging national advocate for the LGBT community, Quigley has cosponsored over a dozen bills that work toward equality during his first 100 days in office. Immediately after being sworn in this past April, Quigley's first act in Congress was to co-sponsor the Hate Crimes bill, not long after which he called for the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and joined Reps. Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin, and Jared Polis to introduce the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Quigley also sent a personal letter to President Obama urging him to include same-sex marriages in the 2010 Census.
Quigley is a member of the Congressional Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Equality Caucus.
Carlos Santoscoy from On Top Magazine contributed to this report.
Video Coverage
by ChicagoPride.com video partner: OutWorld.tv
DOMA was signed into law by President Bill Clinton 13 years ago on September 21. The law defines marriage as a heterosexual union for federal agencies and allows states to ignore gay marriages performed by other states. Under DOMA legally married gay and lesbian couples cannot access federal benefits, including Social Security and pensions.
The bill goes by the short title of the Respect for Marriage Act of 2009. Surrounded by an army of gay leaders, the nine-term Democratic congressman told reporters that the bill enjoys the support of 90 co-sponsors.
"Today, in supporting this Act, I am an arch conservative," said Quigley during today's press conference. "Why is that? Because when you think about it, what have the conservatives said for all time about government's role? That government's role is to stay out of people's personal lives. "
"This will allow people privacy and the right to make decisions that are most important to them. But most of all, it is about respect for what they decide to do with their own lives as long as they're not hurting anyone else. So what, I would ask, is a more intimate, more important, more critical decision, a more sacred decision than who we love—and how we express that love?"
Openly gay legislators Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Colorado Congressman Jared Polis also spoke at the event.
Congress' most powerful openly gay representative says he won't back the effort.
Representative Barney Frank, a democrat from Massachusetts, said last week that passage of the bill this year was unlikely.
"It's not anything that's achievable in the near term," Frank told gay weekly The Washington Blade.
"I think getting [the Employment Non-Discrimination Act], a repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell,' and full domestic partner benefits for federal employees will take up all of what we can do and maybe more in this Congress."
The bill does not repeal DOMA entirely, states would still be allowed to ignore gay marriages performed outside their borders, but it would recognize marriages even in states wh
An emerging national advocate for the LGBT community, Quigley has cosponsored over a dozen bills that work toward equality during his first 100 days in office. Immediately after being sworn in this past April, Quigley's first act in Congress was to co-sponsor the Hate Crimes bill, not long after which he called for the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and joined Reps. Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin, and Jared Polis to introduce the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Quigley also sent a personal letter to President Obama urging him to include same-sex marriages in the 2010 Census.
Quigley is a member of the Congressional Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Equality Caucus.
Carlos Santoscoy from On Top Magazine contributed to this report.
More Details:
A full transcript of Rep. Mike Quigley's remarks is available here. Video is available here.
A full transcript of Rep. Mike Quigley's remarks is available here. Video is available here.
Video Coverage
by ChicagoPride.com video partner: OutWorld.tv