“The federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and injure those whom the State, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity.  By seeking to displace this protection and treating those persons as living in marriages less respected than others.” – Justice Kennedy

Well the debate is finally over. The Supreme Court has STRUCK DOWN Article 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act rendering DOMA effectively useless and granting same sex couples the same Federal rights and protections as their heterosexual counterparts.

What this means, in plain terms, is that same-sex couples who are legally married in states that allow same sex marriage will be entitled to equal treatment under federal law– with regard to, for example, income taxes and Social Security benefits..

Read the full SCOTUS decision here:  http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-307_g2bh.pdf