The law that
prevents the federal government from acknowledging
same-sex marriages and partnerships should be repealed,
former Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr
wrote in the Los Angeles Times Monday.
Barr introduced
the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 when he was a
Republican representative from Georgia's seventh district.
He wrote in the Times opinion piece that
he and President-elect Barack Obama now have the same
stance on the issue -- that the law be repealed.
"DOMA was indeed
designed to thwart the then-nascent move in a few
state courts and legislatures to afford partial or full
recognition to same-sex couples," he wrote
of a court case then pending in Hawaii, Baehr v.
Lewin. He also said that the language of the bill
was a compromise, since it has staved off a
constitutional amendment banning marriage equality while
preventing federal recognition of same-sex marriage.
After wrestling
with the issue, Barr wrote, it seems as though DOMA is
not working as planned. Instead, federal powers must be
reduced across the board, allowing each state to
decide whether instituting same-sex marriage is right
for it, he said.
On the campaign
trail for the Libertarian ticket in May, Barr
announced that he opposed DOMA.
"The Defense of
Marriage Act insofar has provided the federal
government a club to club down rights of law-abiding
American citizens, has been abused, misused, and
should be repealed, and I will work to repeal it," he
said at his party's convention.
Barr was first
elected to Congress in 1994, serving four terms
representing a district north of Atlanta. He also played a
key role in President Bill Clinton's impeachment
hearings. He was defeated in 2002 after district lines
were redrawn, forcing him to run against John Linder,
a popular fellow Republican. (Advocate.com)
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