The US Supreme Court has struck down both the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and dismissed an appeal over Proposition 8. The 17-year-old DOMA has been ruled unconstitutional, in a 5-4 ruling. The decision does not require any state to allow gay marriage, but it means that same-sex couples who are legally married and live in states that recognize gay marriage will be treated as married by the federal government, which until now had been barred from doing so by the law, and will be afforded the same rights and responsibilities as other married couples by the United States government. The court has also ruled there was not enough legal standing to appeal California’s Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in the state. It means an earlier decision in favour of gay rights plaintiffs stands.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 27th June 2013 - 8:55am