U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley has submitted 17 testimonies against the Defense of Marriage Act to Congress, his office announced Dec. 12.
According to a news statement, the testimonies were entered into the record Dec. 7 to document the injustices inflicted by DOMA.
The testimonies were gathered at a public hearing Quigley held with Lambda Legal and other local groups at City Hall in early October. Speakers that event included U.S. Reps. Luis V. Gutierrez and Jan Schakowsky as well as testimony from Ald. James Cappleman and LGBT couples.
Quigley collected testimonies after the event with the intention of submitting them for record in congress.
“I heard from parents afraid to take their children across state lines,” Quigley said in a statement. “I heard about children afraid that the ‘government’ will take them away from their parents. I heard from a high-tech entrepreneur who might take his business and jobs to Brazil because he can’t sponsor his partner. And, I heard from couples that can’t count on Social Security, even though they’re legally married and have paid their fair share of taxes.”
Quigley called the injustice “incomprehensible” and urged congress to strike down DOMA.
In addition to testimonies from same-sex couples, Quigley submitted comments from the Chicago Bar Association LGBT Committee, Equality Illinois, Heartland Alliance, the Human Rights Campaign and the LGBT Immigration Coalition.