Gay rights supporter Vin Testa waves a rainbow flag outside the U.S. Supreme Court building. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Jun 26, 2013
In the second decision favorable to marriage equality advocates and deemed a victory by the LGBT community on Wednesday, the US Supreme Court ruled that it will not address the merits of a challenge to California's Proposition 8, saying those who brought the proposed ban of same-sex marriage had no legal standing to do so.
Just minutes earlier, the court also struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that deprived legally married same-sex couples of benefits given to other married couples, was unconstitutional and "a deprivation of equal liberty."
The 5-4 ruling by the court means that same-sex couples in California will soon be free to marry once more, restoring rulings by lower federal and state courts that determined the ban was unconstitutional.
Celebrations broke out on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC and inside the rotunda at City Hall in San Francisco among other places where marriage equality advocates had gathered.
Legal experts say that California can now rely on those earlier rulings and allow the resumption of same-sex unions in a matter of weeks when the decision goes into effect.
In response, Equality California and other gay rights groups cheered the decision and tweeted:
\u201cHollingsworth v. Perry dismissed for lack of standing! Marriage back to Ca! #EQCA #CAready4marriage #marriage4all\u201d— Equality California (@Equality California) 1372256970
\u201c#NOH8 BREAKING: #SCOTUS dismisses #Prop8 on grounds proponents lack standing; freedom to marry to return to California! #time4marriage\u201d— NOH8 Campaign (@NOH8 Campaign) 1372256814
\u201cBreaking: Marriage is restored to California! #marriage4all\u201d— Freedom to Marry (@Freedom to Marry) 1372257282
And Twitter otherwise was alight:
Tweets about "freedom to marry"
_________________________________________
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
In the second decision favorable to marriage equality advocates and deemed a victory by the LGBT community on Wednesday, the US Supreme Court ruled that it will not address the merits of a challenge to California's Proposition 8, saying those who brought the proposed ban of same-sex marriage had no legal standing to do so.
Just minutes earlier, the court also struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that deprived legally married same-sex couples of benefits given to other married couples, was unconstitutional and "a deprivation of equal liberty."
The 5-4 ruling by the court means that same-sex couples in California will soon be free to marry once more, restoring rulings by lower federal and state courts that determined the ban was unconstitutional.
Celebrations broke out on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC and inside the rotunda at City Hall in San Francisco among other places where marriage equality advocates had gathered.
Legal experts say that California can now rely on those earlier rulings and allow the resumption of same-sex unions in a matter of weeks when the decision goes into effect.
In response, Equality California and other gay rights groups cheered the decision and tweeted:
\u201cHollingsworth v. Perry dismissed for lack of standing! Marriage back to Ca! #EQCA #CAready4marriage #marriage4all\u201d— Equality California (@Equality California) 1372256970
\u201c#NOH8 BREAKING: #SCOTUS dismisses #Prop8 on grounds proponents lack standing; freedom to marry to return to California! #time4marriage\u201d— NOH8 Campaign (@NOH8 Campaign) 1372256814
\u201cBreaking: Marriage is restored to California! #marriage4all\u201d— Freedom to Marry (@Freedom to Marry) 1372257282
And Twitter otherwise was alight:
Tweets about "freedom to marry"
_________________________________________
In the second decision favorable to marriage equality advocates and deemed a victory by the LGBT community on Wednesday, the US Supreme Court ruled that it will not address the merits of a challenge to California's Proposition 8, saying those who brought the proposed ban of same-sex marriage had no legal standing to do so.
Just minutes earlier, the court also struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that deprived legally married same-sex couples of benefits given to other married couples, was unconstitutional and "a deprivation of equal liberty."
The 5-4 ruling by the court means that same-sex couples in California will soon be free to marry once more, restoring rulings by lower federal and state courts that determined the ban was unconstitutional.
Celebrations broke out on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC and inside the rotunda at City Hall in San Francisco among other places where marriage equality advocates had gathered.
Legal experts say that California can now rely on those earlier rulings and allow the resumption of same-sex unions in a matter of weeks when the decision goes into effect.
In response, Equality California and other gay rights groups cheered the decision and tweeted:
\u201cHollingsworth v. Perry dismissed for lack of standing! Marriage back to Ca! #EQCA #CAready4marriage #marriage4all\u201d— Equality California (@Equality California) 1372256970
\u201c#NOH8 BREAKING: #SCOTUS dismisses #Prop8 on grounds proponents lack standing; freedom to marry to return to California! #time4marriage\u201d— NOH8 Campaign (@NOH8 Campaign) 1372256814
\u201cBreaking: Marriage is restored to California! #marriage4all\u201d— Freedom to Marry (@Freedom to Marry) 1372257282
And Twitter otherwise was alight:
Tweets about "freedom to marry"
_________________________________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.