Land of Loopholes: As Long as the Federal Defense of Marriage Act Reigns Supreme, Full Equality Is Denied to Gay and Lesbian Couples Joined in Domestic Partnerships, Civil Unions, and Even Marriage

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As defined by the Defense of Marriage Act, marriage is a "legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife," and spouse refers "only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife."

Passed by Congress in 1996 and signed into law by then-president Bill Clinton, DOMA's unambiguous definition of marriage denies same-sex couples--whether states recognize their relationships or not--more than 1,100 federal spousal benefits and obligations, including Social Security, federal civilian and military service benefits, and family and medical leave, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

"[It] is federal discrimination, pure and simple," …