Wisconsin’s gay members of Congress are applauding Wednesday’s U.S. Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage, after the high court overturned the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI) says the decision means legally-married same sex couples can be federally recognized with the Constitution, the public, and the courts on their side.
AUDIO: Rep. Mark Pocan (:12)
In a recorded statement, US Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) also offered praise for the ruling, calling it a “strong statement for equality and freedom, overturning discrimination against gay and lesbian American citizens simply because of who they love.”
AUDIO: Sen. Tammy Baldwin (:16)
The Supreme Court also passed on a chance to strike down California’s Proposition 8, which Pocan says shows there’s still a lot of work to do. Despite marrying his husband Phil in 2006, Pocan says the pair will still face problems in states that have gay marriage bans on the books, such as Wisconsin. However, Pocan says public opinion is clearly shifting on the issue, and “marriage equality is not a question of if, but when.”
