The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of same sex marriage by striking down the Defense of Marriage Act in a landmark 5-4 decision this morning.
It followed that up with a ruling against California's controversial Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state, meaning that gay marriage is now legal in California.
By striking down DOMA, the Supreme Court effectively ruled that it was not legal to prevent same-sex spouses from receiving the same benefits that heterosexual couples receive.
Victory: Crowds celebrated after the Supreme
Court ruled that same-sex marriages should be legally recognized as
valid across the U.S. and California no longer has a ban against
same-sex marriages
Working for the wedding: Plaintiffs Paul Katami, Jeffrey Zarrillo, Sandy
Stier, and Kristen Perry were the people fighting for marriage equality
in California
While it does not theoretically change
the fact that only 12 states and the District of Columbia are the only
areas in the U.S. where same-sex marriages are granted, today's ruling
means that any couples who are married in those states have to be
treated the same way under the law across the country as any
heterosexual married couples.
The broadly-written decision says among other privileges, same-sex couples can now file joint tax returns, are entitled to social security survivor benefits, have the right to make medical decisions for incapacitated partners, and will receive notification when a spouse is killed in action.
Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority decision, saying that it was not legal to consider same-sex marriages anything lesser than full legal partnerships.
'Under DOMA, same-sex married couples have their lives burdened, by reason of government decree, in visible and public ways,' Justice Kennedy wrote in the majority decision.
'DOMA's principal effect is to identify a subset of state-sanctioned marriages and make them unequal.'
He wrote that the previous law caused 'a stigma upon all who enter into same-sex marriages made lawful by the unquestioned authority of the states.'
As was expected, the court's four more conservative justices- Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and chief justice John Roberts- voted against the issue.
President Obama is currently in Africa on a state visit to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania, but he tweeted shortly after the decision was reached.
'Today's DOMA ruling is a historic step forward for #MarriageEquality #LoveIsLove,' his official Twitter account released.
He is expected to make a statement about the two rulings, and his words will have an added twist as he will give them in Senegal, where homosexuality is illegal.
The second ruling of the day came on the issue of Proposition 8. In that case, California had passed same-sex marriage but then Prop 8 was put in place banning gay marriage in the state. Today's Supreme Court decision said that Prop 8 was not legal, and they were not legally able to put that ban into place.
By removing the ban, California is now the 13th state that allows same-sex marriage.
The landmark decision comes on a busy week for the highest court in the land, as they already handed down verdicts on similarly controversial decisions on affirmative action, the voting rights act, and a custody battle between a girl's Native American biological father and her adoptive family.
Crowds gathered outside of the court on Wednesday morning ahead of their 10am announcement.
Right now, 12 states and the
District of Columbia recognize same-sex marriages as legal, but the
ruling determined whether or not it would continue to be a
state-by-state issue or a national one.
The case itself was based around the constitutionality of denying spousal benefits to same sex partners.They are also considering the validity of the California ban on same-sex marriage.
Named the United States v. Windsor, the case is based around the story of Edith Windsor. She was married to her female spouse Thea Spyer but was denied estate tax when Ms Spyer died.
Their 40-year love story has been a well-publicized one and a movie was made to nationalize.
In light of today's landmark ruling, Windsor no longer has to pay the IRS hundreds of dollars that she was told to pay because the federal government did not recognize her same-sex marriage as valid.
The broadly-written decision says among other privileges, same-sex couples can now file joint tax returns, are entitled to social security survivor benefits, have the right to make medical decisions for incapacitated partners, and will receive notification when a spouse is killed in action.
Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority decision, saying that it was not legal to consider same-sex marriages anything lesser than full legal partnerships.
'Under DOMA, same-sex married couples have their lives burdened, by reason of government decree, in visible and public ways,' Justice Kennedy wrote in the majority decision.
'DOMA's principal effect is to identify a subset of state-sanctioned marriages and make them unequal.'
He wrote that the previous law caused 'a stigma upon all who enter into same-sex marriages made lawful by the unquestioned authority of the states.'
As was expected, the court's four more conservative justices- Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and chief justice John Roberts- voted against the issue.
President Obama is currently in Africa on a state visit to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania, but he tweeted shortly after the decision was reached.
Big day: The ruling over the Defense of Marriage Act was one of the most hotly-anticipated verdicts
Celebrating: Glennda Testone of The Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center jumps for joy after the
Defense of Marriage Act was struck down, meaning that same-sex partners
will receive equal benefits
He is expected to make a statement about the two rulings, and his words will have an added twist as he will give them in Senegal, where homosexuality is illegal.
The second ruling of the day came on the issue of Proposition 8. In that case, California had passed same-sex marriage but then Prop 8 was put in place banning gay marriage in the state. Today's Supreme Court decision said that Prop 8 was not legal, and they were not legally able to put that ban into place.
By removing the ban, California is now the 13th state that allows same-sex marriage.
The landmark decision comes on a busy week for the highest court in the land, as they already handed down verdicts on similarly controversial decisions on affirmative action, the voting rights act, and a custody battle between a girl's Native American biological father and her adoptive family.
Crowds gathered outside of the court on Wednesday morning ahead of their 10am announcement.
On the call: The White House released this picture of President Obama calling Edie Windsor from Air Force One
Waiting to hear: The court was ruling on two
different cases that would decide whether gay couples are legally
allowed to marry across the country
The case itself was based around the constitutionality of denying spousal benefits to same sex partners.They are also considering the validity of the California ban on same-sex marriage.
Named the United States v. Windsor, the case is based around the story of Edith Windsor. She was married to her female spouse Thea Spyer but was denied estate tax when Ms Spyer died.
Their 40-year love story has been a well-publicized one and a movie was made to nationalize.
In light of today's landmark ruling, Windsor no longer has to pay the IRS hundreds of dollars that she was told to pay because the federal government did not recognize her same-sex marriage as valid.
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