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Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry is a joint campaign by Freedom to Marry and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network to highlight the stories of military families harmed by DOMA. Watch and share this video illustrating how DOMA hurts gay military families.

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Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) 

DOMA unfairly denies married same-sex couples the 1,138+ federal protections and responsibilities that the government provides to other married people, dividing Americans into first-class and second-class citizens, with first-class and second-class marriages. 

Unlike all other married couples, same-sex married couples are denied such important protections as Social Security survivor benefits, immigration rights, family and medical leave, and the ability to pool resources as a family without unfair taxation. 

Find out more about how DOMA harms same-sex couples and their families: 

• About Federal Marriage Discrimination
• About the Respect for Marriage Act
• Protections and Responsibilities of Marriage

How DOMA Affects Military Families

Gay and lesbian service members risk their lives to protect ours while their families are denied the critical protections of marriage because of DOMA.

DOMA prevents the federal government from respecting the legal marriages of same-sex couples and forces the military to treat married gay and lesbian service members and veterans and their families differently than it treats all other service members and their families.

Find out more about how DOMA harms same-sex couples and their families:

• DOMA Taxes Military Families
• SLDN Challenges DOMA on Behalf of Gay and Lesbian Servicemembers and Veterans
• Military Family Benefits
• About Spouse and Family Benefits (PDF)