Facebook has been filled with a flurry of avatar changes in support of marriage equality and for good reason. Ten years to the date that the Supreme Court decided Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down all state sodomy laws as unconstitutional, and just two days shy of the 44th anniversary of Stonewall, the Supreme Court issued decision in two landmark marriage equality cases.
The first case announced this morning in a 5-4 decision was United States v. Windsor. In the DOMA case, section 3 was struck down being ruled as "unconstitutional as a deprivation of the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the Fifth Amendment." Click here for a link to the opinion.
The third case announced in another 5-4 decision was Hollingsworth v. Perry, the Prop 8 case, in which the Supreme Court ruled it did not have standing. While marriage equality returns to California, it did not affect the other states with domestic partnerships and civil unions. Click here for a link to the opinion.
Moments after the decisions Tennessee Equality Project's Chris Sanders said, "The Tennessee Equality Project celebrates today's rulings on DOMA and Prop 8. We are studying them closely for their impact in Tennessee. We look forward to renewing the push for marriage equality in Tennessee and other forms of relationship recognition until we get there. It is time that the national momentum is felt here, too. If we work together, it can be."
Looking to find out what the Supreme Court decisions mean for you? Tonight drop by OutCentral at 6:30 p.m. for a discussion with Tennessee Equality Project and Stonewall Bar Association. For more information or to RSVP, click here.
Then plan to make a toast just down the block at Tribe with HRC Nashville and the Stonewall Bar Association as they plan to discuss the meaning of the decisions at well beginning at 7 p.m.. For more information or to RSVP, click here.