1,138

One-thousand one-hundred thirty-eight: That's the number of federal marital benefits and protections denied to same-sex couples as the result of marriage inequality, according to the General Accounting Office (GAO).

Here are two new resources that want to address the issue of marriage inequality:

Project 1138

Equality Forum, a national and international gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) civil rights organization, has launched the Project 1138 Web site, along with Facebook and Twitter pages.

"What Is Project 1138? Project 1138 increases awareness of the 1,138 federal marital benefits and protections denied to same-sex couples as the result of marriage inequality.

How Did It Originate? In January 1997, Senator Bill Frist, the Republican Majority Leader, asked the General Accounting Office (GAO) to identify how many federal benefits were contingent on being married. The GAO reported that the number of federal benefits was 1,138.

Share Your Story. For more than a thousand reasons, YOUR relationship deserves equal treatment under the law. Take a stand against marriage inequality and share your story. Participate in Equality Forum's Project 1138 blog! Separate is not Equal. Separate is not Equality. "

DOMA Stories: Federal Marriage Discrimination Hurts Families

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, New England's leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status and gender identity and expression, has created this resource.

"The double standard created by DOMA causes tangible harm to families every day. Here we share some of those stories. In 1996, Congress passed and President Clinton signed the "Defense of Marriage Act."

DOMA ensured that when states ended their own bans on same-sex couples marrying, the federal government would disregard their marital status for purposes of all 1,138 federal laws in which martial status is a factor. Never before in our nation's history has the federal government disrespected a class of marriages for all federal purposes; the federal government has long relied on states to define marriage.

In 2010, same-sex couples can legally marry in five states and the District of Columbia, and this number will continue to grow. Yet married same-sex couples are denied all of the protections the federal government otherwise makes available to married people. The double standard created by DOMA causes tangible harm to families every day — from higher tax burdens, to an inability to provide for a spouse's health care, to denial of family medical leave and the safety net of social security and survivor benefits the federal government offers all other married partners.

In these stories, loving couples, widows and widowers, from all walks of life, describe how DOMA hurts their families. A new story will be added each week, so please check back often."

Marriage equality is, in many ways, the ultimate expression of equality in our society. Working together, we can get this brass -- or rather, gold -- ring.