A Look Back at the Defense of Marriage Act

Abstract

The social work profession has made a commitment to serve people who are marginalized and address issues at the direct practice level and the policy level. Beyond the Defense of Marriage Act, marriage inequality in the United States negatively impacts millions of individuals and families. A review of the history of same-sex marriage (SSM) and the current state of SSM suggests that actions at the state level continue to have far-reaching negative impacts. Issues of marriage equality and families headed by same-sex couples will require the advocacy and support of social work for decades to come.

Sosyal Hi̇zmette Queer Bakiş Açisi: Toplumsal Ci̇nsi̇yet Rolleri̇nden Bağimsiz Bi̇r Yaklaşima Doğru

“…Ancak sosyal hizmet akademisyenlerinin ve öğrencilerinin özellikle LGBTQİA+'lara yönelik ayrımcı tutumlarının olması, sosyal hizmet bölümü müfredatlarının cinsel yönelim, cinsiyet kimliği, cinsiyet ifadesi ve cinsellik konularında yetersiz kalması, hoşgörü ve kabule ilişkin profesyonel söylemin göz ardı edilmesi gibi durumlar söz konusu sosyal hizmet mesleği ve disiplini açısından tartışma konusu olmaya devam etmektedir (Dentato ve ark., 2016;Kara, 2018;Papadaki ve ark., 2013;Serpen ve ark, 2018). Bunların yanı sıra queer teorinin ve hareketinin kararlı ilerleyişinde sosyal hizmet mesleğinin bir katalizör görevi gördüğünü, lezbiyen sosyal hizmet uzmanlarının mesleği şekillendirmede yardımcı olduğu, bazı akademisyenlerin konuya dair bilinç yükseltici çalışmalar gerçekleştirip uygulama ve program oluşturdukları da görülmektedir (Fredriksen-Goldsen ve ark., 2009; Kara ve ark., 2022; Kara ve Duyan, 2022; Kara ve Serpen, 2022;Pelts, 2014;Poynter ve Tubbs, 2008;Scherrer, 2013). Söz konusu çalışmaların ve tartışmaların, sosyal hizmet disiplini içerisindeki özellikle eleştirel yaklaşım, radikal yaklaşım ve baskı karşıtı uygulamada yer aldığı, bu yaklaşımların ve uygulamaların queer teori ile benzerlik gösterdiğini söylemek mümkündür.…”

Gender, Sexual Identity, and Families: The Personal Is Political

“…To date, the existing literature on the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act is sparse, with most available studies (Aoun, 2016;Dominguez, 2015) focusing on other aspects of same-sex relationships and only including DOMA as one of many considerations. The exception to this is an article (Pelts, 2014) discussing the effects of the June 2013 ruling repealing DOMA. This article discussed the history and current state of same-sex marriage but did not include interviews with, or voices of, same-sex couples.…”

“…Under DOMA, married gay and lesbian couples were denied important protections and rights, such as social security benefits, family and medical leave, the ability to pool resources without heightened taxation, military family benefits, and hospital visitation rights (Andryszewski, 2008;Freedom to Marry, 2013;GLAAD, 2013;Goldberg, 2009;. Thus, the Supreme Court's decision upheld that all married couples deserve equal treatment and respect under the law, and marked the end of the denial of over 1,100 federal protections and benefits of marriage to same-sex couples (Drescher, 2012;Freedom to Marry, 2013;Human Rights Campaign, 2013;Killian, 2010;Mathy, Kerr, & Lehmann, 2004;Pelts, 2014;Steingass, 2012). These privileges of legal married status had previously been available to all other married people, and thus the repeal of Section Three of DOMA was a major victory for marriage equality in the United States (Barnes, 2013;Freedom to Marry, 2013;GLAAD, 2013;Human Rights Campaign, 2013;Reilly & Siddiqui, 2013).…”

Between the Academy and Queerness

“…Historically, the profession of social work has served as a catalyst for this shift. Lesbian social workers were instrumental in shaping the profession (Fredriksen-Goldsen, Kindhorst, Kemp, & Walters, 2009), and contemporary social work scholars continue to lead by imparting wisdom (Scherrer, 2013) and raising consciousness of LGBTQ issues (Pelts, 2014). Some would argue that the academy has risen to the challenge of embracing the LGBTQ community through varied efforts such as implementing queer studies programs, sponsoring queer student groups, and hiring openly LGBTQ faculty.…”