The Supreme Court ruled on two landmark cases in the fight for federal marriage equality
Wednesday
.
The Defense of Marriage Act, generally shortened to DOMA, was found unconstitutional and Proposition 8 was dismissed.
The Ohio University LGBT Center is hosting a commemoration at
5 p.m. Wednesday
at Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St., to celebrate the decisions, but the center was planning to hold the event regardless of the outcome of the rulings.
“Whatever those decisions are, it's always best to surround yourself with community,” the center said in a news release. “Celebrate? Commiserate? Either way, be with people you care about and who care about you.”
The Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1996 by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton, defined federal marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented same-sex couples from receiving federal benefits, among other things, according to GLAAD. Proposition 8 is California’s law that prevents same-sex couples from being legally married in the state.
These decisions do not mean federal marriage equality in all states, though. Only a part of DOMA was deemed unconstitutional, which means that while legally married same-sex couple will receive federal rights, in states that do not have statewide marriage equality laws, same-sex couples will still not be allowed to be married in those states.
Still, many view these rulings to be a victory for the LGBTA community — even in states such as Ohio that do not allow same-sex couples to marry — and are still celebrating the ruling.
Connie Shultz, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and wife of Senator Sherrod Brown, wrote in a tweet in support of the rulings, saying that the senator’s stance on the bill was one of the deciding factors in her dating him.
“I made sure you voted against #DOMA b4 I'd go out w/you. Proud wife today. Great day for our friends & our country,” she wrote.
ks574510@ohiou.edu
