EA, Microsoft and Zynga oppose Defense of Marriage Act

Electronic Arts, Microsoft and Zynga are among the dozens of companies that announced their opposition to the United States' Defense of Marriage Act by filing an amicus brief outlining their objections to the Act.

Electronic Arts, Microsoft and Zynga are among the dozens of companies that announced their opposition to the United States' Defense of Marriage Act by filing an amicus brief outlining their objections to the Act.

The Defense of Marriage Act was enacted by the federal government in 1996 and legally defines marriage as being between one man and one woman. The Obama administration has since found the third section of the act – the one that contains the definition – unconstitutional and has refused to enforce it.

The joint amicus brief signed by the game publishers states that the the Defense of Marriage Act "puts us, as employers and enterprises, to unnecessary cost and administrative complexity, and regardless of our business or professional judgment forces us to discriminate against a class of our lawfully-married employees, upon whose welfare and morale our own success in part depends."

Electronic Arts stated on its own website: "DOMA presents a number of problems for businesses like EA, as it creates regulatory, tax, and discrimination complications for employers, and that's why we're standing against it. The underlying lawsuit impacts all employers no matter how big or small, and no matter the industry, and we encourage other business to join these efforts."

The amicus brief urges the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to find portions of the Act unconstitutional.