~Wednesday~ I was on pins and needles waiting for the decisions on Prop 8 and DOMA to be handed down from the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) today. Although I don’t, myself—at least at this time—aspire to the institution of marriage, I do believe that anybody who does should have access to it.
If you don’t know the difference between Proposition 8 and DOMA, here is a high-level description of each from the New York Times’ “How the court could rule on same-sex marriage” article:
| Prop 8: Hollingsworth v. Perry, No. 12-144 California’s Ban on Same-Sex Marriage The court will decide whether Proposition 8, a California voter initiative that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman, violates the federal Constitution. |
| DOMA: United States v. Windsor, No. 12-307, Federal Benefits for Same-Sex Couples The court will also decide whether a part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 that defines marriage to be “only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife” in determining federal benefits violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause. |
The article also has a nice graphic showing the probably outcomes and what the implications of each would be.
At 10:00, I joined a little over 190,000 people at the time who were following http://www.scotusblog.com/ which was at once announcing and explaining the DOMA and Prop 8 decisions. By the time it was all said and done, and I left the site, there were over 317,000 people looking at the blog.
As anyone who cares at all about the issues know by now, both Prop 8 and DOMA were struck down by the Supreme Court with a 5-4 vote. What a monumental, momentous, and historical day for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender people in these United States.
Some of the Facebook status updates I made after the announcements:
♫ Going to the courthouse, and we’re gonna get married… ♫
From the SCOTUS liveblog at 10:25:
From Mary (reader): So does this mean that I’ll be able to file joint taxes with my wife?
From Amy (moderator): Yes. Perhaps for the first time ever, many people will be eager to file their taxes next April 15.
So, if I’ve got this right, all of the marriages that have taken place in the blue states at the very bottom of the infographic in this article will now be federally recognized, and those couples inherit 1138 rights today. The next round of litigation will start up to deal with states (such as my own) that have banned (some to the point of state constitutionally, again such as my own) same-sex marriage.
An article about how Edie Windsor (the plaintiff in the DOMA case) reacted when she heard the news. What was at stake to her was getting back $363,000 in estate taxes that she had to pay when her partner of over 40 years died, which she wouldn’t have had to pay if they were married: How Edith Windsor Learned She Won.
It’s a(n extra) good day to be gay. #SCOTUS #DOMA #PROP8
Shared this VirtuousAbbey update: “The entire Abbey is just as happy as you are Brother Ignatius, but you still can’t get married. Because you’re a MONK, that’s why.”
Nancy Pelosi’s response about Michele Bachman’s reponse to the decisions, as described in this extremely brief article: Nancy Pelosi’s response to Michele Bachmann’s anti-gay marriage statement is the best ever.
Shared this news story: Seattle Mariners make history by agreeing to fly Pride Flag this Sunday.
A graphical meme that says: “Brace yourselves. Everyone on Facebook is about to become a constitutional scholar.”
That must mean that, “The last 50 years have been tragic years for little boys.” In response to the article: Supreme Court Decisions On Marriage: ‘Tragic Day For Marriage And Our Nation,’ State U.S. Bishops.
On the DoD website: “The Department of Defense intends to make the same benefits available to all military spouses — regardless of sexual orientation — as soon as possible. That is now the law and it is the right thing to do. Every person who serves our nation in uniform stepped forward with courage and commitment. All that matters is their patriotism, their willingness to serve their country, and their qualifications to do so.” See the news release on the DoD website.
Obmacares! President Obama Calls Prop 8 Plaintiffs During On Air Interview
I’d like to take a moment to thank all my LGBT friends who have poured their hearts into their hopes and dreams of having their humanity acknowledged legally, working on these issues in so many iterations of them, for so many years.
And a special thanks to the hearts and minds of all of my straight family and friends for your support over the years, too.