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Gay marriage called a civil-rights issue

WASHINGTON, July 20 (UPI) -- Repealing the U.S. Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a man-woman legal union, is a civil-rights issue, a lesbian psychotherapist said.

"I think, as Rosa Parks might say, it's time to get up from the back of the bus and assume our seats among the rest of our fellow human beings," Beth Coderre said during an appearance at the National Press Club with U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who called for the law's repeal.

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White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama would also endorse the repeal of the 1996 marriage-definition act that also lets states refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted in other states.

"He is proud to support the Respect for Marriage Act," which eliminates DOMA and says that for purposes of federal law, "an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid" where it was obtained.

The new law "would take DOMA off the books once and for all" and "uphold the principle that the federal government should not deny gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections as straight couples," Carney said.

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The Senate Judiciary Committee was to hold a hearing on the new bill at 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday.

"There is zero chance that Congress is going to repeal [DOMA] any time soon, so this is primarily political theatrics on President Obama's part," National Organization for Marriage Chairwoman Maggie Gallagher, whose advocacy group opposes gay marriage, told the Los Angeles Times.

DOMA passed Congress with strong bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

The Obama administration declared DOMA unconstitutional Feb. 23 and ceased defending it in several lawsuits. House Republicans responded by hiring a private law firm to defend the law.

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