Supreme Court strikes down DOMA, Prop. 8

The flag outside the Live Violence Free office in South Tahoe. Photo/LTN

The U.S. Supreme Court today on a 5-4 vote has ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, and on another 5-4 vote said California’s Proposition 8 has no standing.

This means Proposition 8 is invalid and gays in California can marry. It is a California-only ruling.

The dissolution of DOMA means gay and lesbian couples who are legally married will be able to receive the same federal benefits as heterosexual married couples. This includes Social Security, disability, retirement benefits, worker’s comp, family leave and filing joint federal income tax returns. There are more than 1,000 benefits that will be affected.

In California 18,000 couples married in the brief time the state allowed gays to married. Those couples will be granted federal benefits with DOMA going away.

Here is a copy of the DOMA court ruling. Here is a copy of the Proposition 8 ruling.

President Obama tweeted his approval of the ruling, saying, “Love is love.”

— Lake Tahoe News staff report