The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), ruling the law as unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. DOMA defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman and denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages even in states where they are legal. The court of appeals ruled that the government directly discriminates against gay Americans by denying federal benefits to lawfully married same-sex couples. This decision was the second from a federal appeals court striking down DOMA. Several DOMA cases now wait before the Supreme Court, which could take up one of the cases this term.