Yesterday here in the good ol’ USA, the Supreme Court rendered two major decisions about same-sex marriage. One of those decisions — finding Section 3 of the antiquated “Defense of Marriage Act” of 1996 to be unconstitutional — applies directly to me and my spouse.

This decision…

…is explained this way: Section 3 of DOMA had codified the non-recognition of same-sex marriages for all federal purposes, including insurance benefits for Federal Government employees (including retirees), Social Security survivors’ benefits, immigration, and the filing of joint tax returns.

Now that this discriminatory section of the law has been declared unconstitutional, it means that the rights and benefits denied to us are now ours to exercise, just like what opposite-sex married couples have under Federal Law. My spouse and I feel that we finally have stepped up to the “big leagues” with discrimination against us, just because we’re gay, being deemed unconstitutional by five (a majority) of the judges on our country’s highest court in the land.

I’ll let other blogs, news media, and talking heads blather about it, but what I want to convey here is a very personal story. Striking down DOMA now allows my spouse to protect me with his benefits provided by his employer, which was the United States Government. He can now extend his retiree health insurance to me and provide for survivor benefits should he pre-decease me. In turn, I can directly care for him if needed without having to have a Power of Attorney in my pocket. Further, we are considered “one” as a legal entity, so what’s his is mine and what’s mine is his, and passing our assets to the other upon death, gift, or otherwise does not provoke serious tax consequences.

I titled this blog post as I did because…

For Richer or Poorer … my spouse and I recognize that we are financially intertwined and support each other regardless of who makes what, how much, or who has how much savings in the bank or retirement annuities. We have always lived that way, but now — it’s the law. That is, our assets are no longer separated due to a law that discriminated against us.

In Sickness and In Health … man, have we been through that. We each have had illnesses, surgeries, and other medical situations where we cared for one another. As it should be between a married couple who love one another.

Yep, we are real happy campers here at the ol’ BHD homestead, having been married in the Free State of Maryland in April, and now in June, we achieve recognition and our rights in the eyes of U.S. Federal Law as well.

Woo-hoo! Now, what’s for lunch?

Life is short: celebrate equality.