Supreme Court Gay Marriage Rulings: The Implications

This post was reported and written by Patch Associate Editorial Director Todd Richissin. Additional reporting and writing was contributed by Local Editor Shaun Courtney.

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled Wednesday 5 - 4 that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. The law had barred the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages legalized by the states. The same margin ruled that the parties who brought Proposition 8 before the court did not have legal standing; therefore making same sex marriage legal once again in California. 

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his DOMA opinion: "The federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the State, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity. ... By seeking to displace this protection and treating those persons as living in marriages less respected than others, the federal statute is in violation of the Fifth Amendment.”

The court's DOMA ruling would apply to states that have legalized same sex marriage, including the District of Columbia. The ruling means the federal government will need to recognize marriages legally allowed in the states, but would not require states to legalize same sex marriage. 

"This is a huge win and another step in our nation's long march toward equal justice under the law for all.#DOMAisdead," DC Mayor Vincent Gray tweeted about the DOMA decision Wednesday.

Before the court were two issues on gay marriage: the constitutionality of a federal law that denies benefits to same-sex married couples and a California state law that bans gay marriage.