When the United States Supreme Court issued its dual rulings last week, which in aggregate smoothed the road for further advancements in the quest for same-sex marriage equality, LGBT and civil rights leaders in South Florida and nationwide celebrated. After months of conjecture about how the court would handle the cases related to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s anti-gay marriage Proposition 8, the results seemed clear to many and it was declared a victory for the cause.
"SAVE Dade is ecstatic that the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act that before today denied thousands of legally married same-sex couples certain federal benefits and privileges granted only to married heterosexual couples,” said SAVE Dade Executive Director C.J. Ortuño's official response to the Supreme Court decisions. “We applaud the Justices for ruling on the side of equality and we look forward to a brighter future for LGBT couples in the United States.
