Denial of Benefits to Same-Sex Couple Is Ruled Discriminatory

The denial of insurance coverage to the spouse of a federal court employee in San Francisco was an act of discrimination, the court’s chief judge has ruled in an order that entitles the employee to compensation for the costs of private insurance.

The payments may have to wait, however, while courts consider the constitutionality of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act," the 1996 law barring federal marital benefits to same-sex couples. A federal appeals court in Boston heard arguments over the law Wednesday.