How One Lawyer Got Involved In the Fight for Same-Sex Marriage

Wendy Goffe is a straight estate planning attorney who supports gay marriage, and people often ask how she ended up in that position. Her stance is largely attributed to “Uncle” Howard who was a large influence on her earlier in life. He was her mother’s professor, and he would come to dinners with Wendy’s family often. He brought his boyfriends to dinner, and he brought Wendy artful and provacative gifts. After Howard passed away, Wendy learned that he was part of the S&M Bathhouse movement and that he created beautiful pieces of art as protest–several of these pieces are now on display in museums.

Wendy started off as a tax lawyer out of law school, and she started seeing ways that the disadvantaged could use taxes to their advantage. She also saw how gay couples who could not marry were denied the rights of married couples, including social security, the right to inherit retirement account benefits, along with several others. Since gay couples are not entitled to many of the same presumptions as married couples, It is particularly important for them to have their estate planning documents in order. In response to these concerns, Wendy has spent much of the last 20 years looking at issues that arise out of gay people’s inability to marry. 

Despite Wendy’s efforts, change will be slow. Even though the first circuit recently ruled DOMA was unconstitutional, it did not address whether states can decline to recognize same sex marriages that have been performed in states where it is legal. Even if the Supreme Court affirmed the first circuit’s decision, its holding will be limited to a narrow issue. An overturn decision by the Supreme Court could have adverse effects on any future progress. 

See Wendy S. Goffe, How I Became the Straight Lady for Gay Marriage, Forbes, June 1, 2012.