Community Corner

Supreme Court Rules Defense of Marriage Act Unconstitutional

The ruling means same-sex couples should receive the same benefits as heterosexual couples.

(Updated, 10:45 a.m.) The Supreme Court has ruled that Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, the Huffington Post reported Wednesday.

DOMA, a 1996 law, defined civil marriage as "a legal union between one man and one woman" for the purpose of more than 1,000 federal laws and programs.

The ruling means married, gay couples in Maryland will be entitled to tax benefits, legal privileges and other rights previously only available to heterosexual couples.

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One reaction on Elkridge Patch likened DOMA to Jim Crow-era segregation.  

"As a heterosexual woman married for 37 years (to the same man, btw), I feel like I've been sitting at a lunch counter with a "no coloreds allowed" sign on the door," user Scoutie McScouterson wrote. "It's a new day. WELCOME!"

Find out what's happening in Elkridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Maryland was one of three states to approve same-sex marriage at the ballot box in 2012, after a General Assembly bill was petitioned to referendum. Same-sex marriage is currently recognized by 12 states and the District of Columbia. In neighboring neighboring Delaware, a law recognizing same-sex marriage is set to go into effect on July 1.

Gov. Martin O’Malley responded to the ruling with the following statement:

“This ruling is a powerful step forward for those who live in states like Maryland. But the Court’s decisions make clear that there is still more work to do as a nation to achieve greater respect for the equal rights and human dignity of all.

“As Marylanders, and as Americans, we ultimately all want the same thing for our children: to live in a loving, stable, committed home protected equally under the law.”

Come back to Patch for more on the Supreme Court’s ruling and for local reaction.

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