Years ago, I accepted a foreign assignment and convinced Kid and Wife to go with me. Unexpectedly, I needed to prove, to the other country, that this woman was indeed my wife. The destination country required a federal level document for such a proof. I was stumped. At the end, we had a State Department affidavit stating that US Federal Government recognizes my Californian marriage certificate. “How absurd,” I thought at the time. “How is it possible that Federal Government would not recognize that certificate!”
At a social event, I found myself talking to a judge (state level). I asked her, “If two people got married in the State of Washington, and one of them go to another state that does not recognize same-sex marriage, are they still married? For example, can one married again or, legally, evade child-support?”
She gave me a long explanation that my drunken brain stored as “It is messy.” And I realized that a same-sex couple wouldn’t be able to accept that foreign assignment, given DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act).