Supreme Court Rules For Marriage Equality
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down DOMA’s Section 3 and dismissed California’s Proposition 8 case on lack of standing. These historic rulings affirm that all families deserve equal respect and treatment under the law.
We celebrate today with families across the country that can now access equal rights and recognition from our government.
DOMA created a two-tiered system for marriage that forced exclusion of gay and lesbian families from federal benefits, and California’s Proposition 8 attempted to allow a majority vote to strip away fundamental freedoms of a minority. Today’s rulings from the Supreme Court mark a new direction.
Couples who are legally married in the District of Columbia, California and twelve other states can now access the federal benefits previously limited to straight couples. Many have borne emotional pain and financial instability as a result of this discrimination, and the ruling of DOMA as unconstitutional is a moral victory for equal rights and family values.
This milestone marks a turning point in our movement, but we face a long road ahead as we seek to overturn discriminatory amendments against same-sex marriage in 35 states.
As we celebrate this news with the 93 million Americans who live in jurisdictions with the freedom to marry, we stand with gays and lesbians in the nearly two-thirds of the country that have yet to secure equal rights. The Supreme Court’s decisions rely in part on federalism principles, which means the institution of marriage will once again be defined by individual states. Whether same-sex marriages that are legal in states with the freedom to marry will be recognized by states with constitutional bans on same-sex marriage is yet to be determined.
As people of faith, we are also called to address other extensive challenges including socio-economic disparities, racial justice, health and cultural issues that persist in our community. We will work even harder to secure equal rights in marriage and equality across the intersections of our inequalities and diverse identities.
The Christian movement for LGBT equality has been critical to our progress thus far, and we look forward to working more with each of you as we amplify the voices of faith advocating for equal rights.
If you’d like to write about your reaction to the Supreme Court rulings on the Believe Out Loud blog, email Alison, our Senior Editor today. How have these laws affected you or your loved ones? What is the role of Christian communities in our movement toward equal rights? Click here and share your story today.
If you haven’t already, click here to pledge your support for LGBT equality too.
Spiritual Affirmation
Comments (7)
paul
“These historic rulings
“These historic rulings affirm that all families deserve equal respect and treatment under the law.”
sadly, they don’t. as you note in the article, taxpaying americans in 2/3 of states are still denied equal treatment under the law, and the supreme court chose to leave it that way.
and the fact that the DOMA decision was 5-4 shows just how fragile our equality gains are.
so yes, today’s new is good news, but it still doesn’t resolve the fact that gays and lesbians in most of america can’t legally marry the person they love.
Melissa Joseph
I am beyond thrilled about
I am beyond thrilled about this ruling. I have a 16 year old son who came out when he was 13. It took a lot of courage to do that at that age and I couldn’t be happier to have him as my son. I have always believed that every American deserves the right to marry who they want. It’s shouldn’t be up to the government. It’s about marrying who you love.
Lily
I can’t believe they really
I can’t believe they really passed this. I am so disappointed. I don’t believe gays, lesbians OR anybody else who isn’t straight have the right to get married. Same sex marriage is an abomination to society. I wouldn’t even let them be near my kids in school if i had a choice. I rather much have my kids be in home school.
Courtney Urban
Well if they’re bigots like
Well if they’re bigots like you, people who aren’t bigots and support people no matter their sexual preference, would like your kids in home school too. You should be ashamed of you, I am.
Sherri Gillespie
No one is free and equal
No one is free and equal under the law until all are free and equal.
The Truth
This is man’s word not my
This is man’s word not my Fathers!
My Father states to lie with mankind as womankind is an abomination !
It doesn’t matter how much you feel you love the LORD GOD ALmighty , He doesn’t even want to look upon you.
If you do not obey the Father’s commandments then your heart will become ungodly and you will be cast out !
Peace be unto you !
Amen
Stephany
I wonder………if you can
I wonder………if you can marry “whomever you love” …. it is ok to marry your daughter….. ……. if the mother who is dying of AIDS and praying she will live long enough to care for her baby who is dying of AIDS, thinks homosexuality is a healthy sex style? …… if its ok for anyone to do what they want as long as we love them – like the governor who changed his mind about homosexuality being wrong, because his daughter is gay – – – -would shoplifting be ok if his daughter was a shoplifter? ……. if the 25,000 U. S. citizens who are newly diagnosed with AIDS every year consider “marriage equality” a good exchange….. …….. whose children will we experiment with to see how they turn out when raised by two dads, or two moms….. ………if the gay partners really want a stable marriage, why do 78% of them have multiple partners – in or out of marriage…. ………. if loving each other means to the LGBT population – lobbying the CDC to prevent reporting AIDS as an STD, so people can be informed about their sexual partner’s disease, and then get tested, treated if need be. (I thought “love” meant doing what is good for others) ……. if caring about children means forcing graphic brochures about homosexual behaviors on school kids, there is something strange… check out MassResistance to see what has happened in Massachusetts since 2004. Parents have not even been able to “opt out” of this kind of action in the schools. There is no question that we, as Christians, should love everyone, that has never been in question. What we are to do while loving others is to encourage them to lead holy lives, becoming more like Christ, not encourage them to sin, or to push others to sin. Equal rights are inate, marriage is a covenant, not a right and not a means to get benefits – especially …….it is a covenant to the Christian. Think it over, read what the Bible really says about love, there is a whole book about a love relationship between a man and a woman. Not one word in the Book suggests any negative outcome of love and loving actions. I call 3.4 million children dead from AIDS and its complications, a negative outcome.
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