Florida Republican supports Respect for Marriage Act

Florida’s Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the first Republican member of Congress to co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act. The legislation, introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Jerrold Nadler, would pave the way to make gay marriage legal within all 50 states by acknowledging that government should not define a couple by their sexual orientation.

This legislation would uphold the principle that the federal government should not deny gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections as straight couples. The President has long called for a legislative repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

[via MiamiHerald.com]