The Supreme Court of the United States issued two rulings today that are being celebrated by the gay and lesbian community as major victories.
The court struck down Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act, which excluded same-sex “married” couples from financial benefits. Section Two of DOMA, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, was not before the Court. However, liberals in Congress planned to move immediately with legislation that would repeal all of DOMA. The ruling basically stated that the federal government cannot deny tax, health and pension benefits to same-sex couples in states where they can legally marry. (For the full text of this ruling, visit http://www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2013/06/26/supreme-court-ruling-on-defense-marriage-act/.)
In the second ruling, the Court dismissed the appeal to Proposition 8 in California. The state law had defined marriage as between a man and a woman. The result of the ruling was that same-sex couples in California could be legally married. (To see the full text of this ruling, visit http://www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2013/06/26/supreme-court-ruling-on-prop-8/.)