After much review and thought, the Supreme Court released two rulings that will support the gay and homosexual movement and allow gay marriage in parts of the United States. According to the reports on USA Today, one ruling declares that Proposition 8 will be struck down and gay marriage will officially be legal in California.

The other ruling repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that was created by President Clinton and extends federal marriage benefits to homosexual couples that live in one of the 12 states that permit homosexual marriage. Other states will have the right to choose whether or not they would like to allow gay marriage. If they declare that it is legal in the state, then it will also be considered legal on a federal level within that state as well.

In a 5-4 ruling the Supreme Court removed the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that has prevented legally married couples from receiving a large range of tax, health and retirement benefits that are available to married people. This act not only benefits legally married homosexual couples, but says a lot about the stance that the federal government is planning to take on gay marriage as a whole. With federal approval in place, chances are that more and more individuals will start to support homosexual marriage and more state legislatures will entertain the idea of legalizing gay marriage within their borders.

About 45 minutes after this decision was released, the court cleared the way for same-sex marriage to resume in the state of California. For a short amount of time, the state of California approved of same-sex marriage, but then the proposition was put to an electoral vote and struck down. After, advocates argued that the vote was the result of bias and discrimination and that the public should not be permitted to vote on such a delicate matter. This argument made its way to the Supreme Court, where it was eventually evaluated. The Supreme Court announced today that the vote may have been biased and that Proposition 8 should have never been reversed.

Homosexual couples all throughout the nation are celebrating and believe that this is the start of a new era within the United States. Older homosexual couples are elated, and say that repealing the DOMA is an action that will allow them to inherit their spouse's social security. This federal benefit was previously only permitted for heterosexual couples. Not all individuals are thrilled with this new announcement, and conservative groups are disappointed by the end of the DOMA.

If you are in a homosexual relationship, then you may want to secure a family lawyer to assist you with any complications that you experience as you prepare to wed or work through the federal benefits that you are now entitled to. There may still be complications with some arrangements, and you will want am attorney there to help you as you work through any difficulties that you encounter. This directory lists many pro-homosexual attorneys that will assist you as you work through the logistics of a marriage, draft a prenuptial agreement, seek divorce, or arrange federal benefits due to the new DOMA ruling.

The Supreme Court says that the DOMA was primarily in place to demean people who are in lawful same-sex marriage relationships, and that this was not a fair arrangement. Individuals are saying that this is one of the most significant legal victories for same-sex rights advocates. The court was clear on the fact that the repeal of the DOMA will only benefit couples in lawful homosexual marriages. If you want more information contact an attorney using this directory today!