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The law that prevents the federal government from acknowledging same-sex marriages and partnerships should be repealed, former Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr wrote in the Los Angeles Times Monday.
The law that prevents the federal government from acknowledging same-sex marriages and partnerships should be repealed, former Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr wrote in the Los Angeles Times Monday.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Times opinion piece that he and President-elect Barack Obama now have the same stance on the issue -- that the law be repealed.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federal government a club to club down rights of law-abiding American citizens, has been abused, misused, and should be repealed, and I will work to repeal it," he said at his party's convention.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)
