Today the Supreme Court ruled on two cases regarding same-sex marriage, which strengthened the gay rights movement and provided benefits for same-sex couples.

Firstly, the Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA, was challenged and ruled partially unconstitutional. As a result, married same-sex couples will be able to acquire many federal benefits; the ruling also opens the door for more benefits to be granted  to same-sex couples by the Obama Administration.

The Supreme Court dismissed a case from California questioning Proposition 8, the ban on same sex marriage in California. The Supreme Court dismissed the case on the grounds that the state officials had not made an adequate case to support the proposition. As a result, the ban on same-sex marriage in California has been lifted, but no other states have been affect like the Obama Administration had hoped they would.