LAMBDA LEGAL ARCHIVE SITETHIS SITE IS NO LONGER MAINTAINED. TO SEE OUR MOST RECENT CASES AND NEWS, VISITNEW LAMBDALEGAL.ORG
Judge says US must supply health benefits for same-sex wife of federal court worker in Calif.
Find Your State
Know the laws in your state that protect LGBT people and people living with HIV.
Legal Help Desk
February 23, 2012
Publication Source & URL:
"The government cannot deny health benefits to the wife of a lesbian court employee by relying on the 1996 law that bars government recognition of same-sex unions, a federal judge has ruled.
"In Wednesday’s ruling, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White said the government’s refusal to furnish health insurance to Karen Golinski’s wife is unjustified because the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutionally discriminates against same-sex married couples.
"...When White heard the case in December, the head of the Justice Department’s civil division, Tony West, joined her lawyers from the gay rights legal group Lambda Legal in arguing on Golinski’s behalf, leaving the job of defending DOMA to a lawyer hired by a House of Representatives group. The lawyers representing the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group convened by House Speaker John Boehner did not immediately respond to an email to their offices sent after business hours Wednesday."