relationships. they can adopt children and do all kinds of things. they can have survivor benefits and all kinds of things that any other traditionally married couple will have. but because of this federal law which was passed with bipartisan majority and signed into law by president bill clinton who has since said doma high school to go. you remember when the case was first filed it dealt with two women who lived in new york. they were married in canada but lived in new york. when one passed away the other was left a huge estate bill because the state didn't recognize their marriage. at the time that she filed her lawsuit, not too long after that the federal government within the attorney general and president obama came out and said they would not defend doma. they would enforce it. but as the legal battles are playing out they wouldn't gift. and they flipped sides and went to court fighting against doma even though it is a law on the