Statement by State Senator Hoylman on Supreme Court Decision Striking Down Federal Defense of Marriage Act

“This is a great day for all LGBT families, like mine.

“With the decision today to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, Edie Windsor and her late wife Thea Syper, have joined the pantheon of civil rights heroes. History will inscribe their names alongside the likes of King, Parks, Marshall, Anthony and Milk.

“I am so grateful for the courage of Edie and her brilliant attorney, Roberta Kaplan, to take on this discriminatory federal policy.

“As we celebrate, we must continue to fight to ensure that the decisions reached today are used to remove bigotry and hate from all of our nation’s laws, and bring full equality to the 37 states that still treat LGBT families as second-class citizens.”