Gay Couples Law Blog: DOMA Prevents Government From Incentivizing Good Behavior in Same Sex Relationships
Repealing the Defense of Marriage Act is not just about equality–it’s also about encouraging socially beneficial behavior in gay relationships.
That statement by itself is an important one to remember. The government does this all the time. Like the fact that mortgage interest is tax deductible encourages us to by houses instead of renting. In this article, the example given is the fact that alimony is tax deductible (unless you’re paying alimony to a same-sex ex-partner) and the fact that it’s deductible encourages you to actually pay it if you owe it.
Whether or not that’s appropriate for the government to do is a whole ‘nother discussion.
