Many heavy hitters in the travel industry were among the nearly 300 companies, organizations and local governments that signed on to a brief filed with the Supreme Court yesterday calling for the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which forbids federal recognition of same-sex marriage, to be struck down as unconstitutional.
The brief states:
Although marriages are celebrated and recognized under state law, DOMA, a federal law withholding marital benefits from some lawful marriages but not others, requires that employers treat one employee differently from another, when each is married, and each marriage is equally lawful. DOMA thus impairs employer/employee relations and other business interests. In this brief, amici show how the burden of DOMA's dual regime is keenly felt by organizations that conduct operations or do business in jurisdictions that authorize or recognize marriage between two people of the same sex.
The brief's list of supporters includes:
- Alaska Airlines
- Caesars Entertainment Corportation
- Commune Hotels & Resorts
- The Forward Motion Group
- Horizon Air Industries Inc.
- JetBlue Airways Corporation
- Kimpton Hotels & Restaurant Group LLC
- Marriott International Inc.
- Orbitz Worldwide
- Walt Disney Company
Charlie Rounds did not hesitate to have his company join the brief. In addition to his role as president of The Forward Motion Group, an independent consulting agency specializing in LGBT marketing in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries, Rounds serves as the chair of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association Foundation.
"I am really proud of the travel industry for stepping up for what is right," said Rounds. "This is just another example of how corporate America has led the way in the fight for LGBT equality."
A copy of the brief including the complete list of the supporting parties is available on Metro Weekly's Poliglot blog.
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