Repeal Defense of Marriage Act Now!

We, the undersigned, are petitioning the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate to repeal The Defense of Marriage Act of 1996. We feel that by having this act in effect, we, as America, are being counterproductive as we came to America to set up a government that would not control what we were passionate about.

We ask that you consider all of the LGBT community and the very little amount of worth and equality that is being given to them. Not only do we want for same-sex marriage to be legal in all states, we want it to be of equal worth as what is considered 'traditional marriage'. We want same-sex couples to have all of the same marital benefits given to them!

Same-sex Marriage is allowed in only six states at the moment and those states include: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Washington, DC also allows same-sex marriage.

Although all of these states allow same-sex marriage, they still are not allowed to grant full marital benefits to these couples that heterosexual couples are given. This is because of The Defense of Marriage Act that states that the definition of marriage is only between a man and a woman and any other union will not receive the same marital benefits.

There are precisely 1, 049 marital benefits.

These benefits include but are not limited to:
-Visitation rights at a medical facility or prison
-Filing joint income tax returns
-Inheritance of partner’s belongings once deceased
-Medical decisions made by family members
-Entitlement to making burial arrangements
-Receiving social security, medicare and disability benefits for partner
-Receiving veterans’ and military benefits for spouses
-Entitlement to bereavement leave
-Ability to live in neighborhoods that are strictly “family zoned”
-Partaking of consumer discounts for families
-Obtaining immigration and residency benefits from partner

Therefore, we, the supporters of this cause, respectfully request that the Defense of Marriage Act is repealed so that all couples, no matter the sex, may be married and have equal benefits.