SupremeCourtProjectAmerican

Government
Topic:SameSexMarriage

UnitedStatesv.Windsor,Obergefellv.Hodges

MichaelRichie

JakePowell

Period2

2016January07

I.

IntroductiontoGayMarriage
Samesexmarriage,orGayMarriage,ismarriagebetweentwopeopleofthe
samesex,conductedaseitheracivilceremonyorinareligioussetting.Inthelate20th
Century,religiousrightsofmarriagewithoutlegalrecognitionbecameincreasingly
common.Coupleswereforcedtotakethisrouteduetotheunchangingsocialopinionsof
thetopicinitsentirety.Onlyfourteencountries,suchasArgentina,Belgium,Braziland
Canada,allowedgaymarriagein2001.Today,pollsshowincreasingnumbersinsupport
ofgaymarriage,especiallywhenitcomestolegalizingitintheAmericas.InJune26,
2015,gaymarriagewasdeclaredlegalnationwidebytheSupremeCourt.However,
thoughthistremendousoccasionshouldrepresenttheoverwhelmingsupportforthe
LGBTcommunity,somepeoplestillremainobdurateintheiropinions.

II.SupremeCourtCasesInvolved
a.UnitedStatesvs.Windsor
TheDefenseofMarriageAct(DOMA),enactedin1996,statesthat,forthe
purposesoffederallaw,thewordsmarriageandspouserefertolegalunionsbetweenone
manandonewoman.Sincethattime,somestateshavebeguntoauthorizesamesexmarriage.In
otherextremecases,courtshaveruleditunconstitutionalundertheFifthAmendment,butthe
courtshavedisagreedontherationale.
EdithWindsorwasawidowandthesoleexecutoroftheestateofherlatespouse,
TheaClaraSpyer,whodiedin2009.TheyweremarriedinToronto,Canadain2007whentheir
marriagewasrecognizedbyNewYorkstatelaw.Spyerleftherestatetoherspouse,but,because

theirmarriagewasnotrecognizablebyfederallaw,thegovernmentimposedover$350,000in
taxes.Iftheirmarriagewasinfactrecognized,theestatewouldhavenotimposedanytaxessince
theywouldhavequalifiedformaritalexemption.
OnNovember9,2010,Windsorfiledsuitindistrictcourtseekingadeclarationthatthe
DOMAwasunconstitutional.ThePresidentandAttorneyGeneralannouncedthattheywould
notdefendDOMA.Intheend,theU.S.CourtofAppealsfortheSecondCircuitaffirmed.

b.Obergefellvs.Hodges
GroupsofsamesexcouplessuedtheirrelevantstateagenciesinOhio,Michigan,
Kentucky,andTennesseetochallengetheconstitutionalityofthosestatesbansonsamesex
marriageorrefusaltorecognizelegalsamesexmarriagethatoccurredinjurisdictionsthat
providedforsuchmarriages.Eachplaintiffarguedthateachcasesstatesstatutesviolatedthe
EqualProtectionClauseandDueProcessClauseofthe14thAmendment,andongroupof
thoseplaintiffsalsobroughtclaimsundertheCivilRightsAct.Inallthecases,thetrialcourt
foundinfavorofthePlaintiffs.INtheend,theU.S.CourtofAppealsfortheSixthCircuit
reversedandheldthattheState'sbansonsamesexmarriageandrefusaltorecognizemarriages
performedinotherstatesdidnotviolatethe14thamendment.

III.CourtsDecisions
a. UnitedStatesvs.WindsorMajority&MinorityOpinionSummarized
MajorityOpinion:
Themajority'sopinionhadcomedowntoa54decisionunderthe
SupremeCourt.TheSupremeCourthadheldthattheUSGovernment,despitetheexecutive
branchsagreementregardingtheunconstitutionalityofDOMA,retainedasignificantenough
stakeintheissuetosupportSupremeCourtjurisdiction.TherewasalsotheissueoftheU.S.
Treasurytorefundnumerousamountsoftaxmoney,sotheGovernmentwasabouttosuffera
seriouseconomicinjury.AsaresulttheSupremeCourtkeptastandingonthecase.Thetopic
aboutwhetherDOMAwentagainstlegislativeandhistoricalprecedentbyunderminingthe
authorityalsocameintoplay.TheendresultwasthatsamesexcouplesweredeniedbyDOMA
rightsduetothefederalrecognitionofmarriage,whichareavailabletoothercoupleswithlegal
marriagesunderstatelaw.

MinorityOpinion:
ChiefJusticeJohnG.Roberts,wroteadissentinwhichheargued
thattheCourtlackedthejurisdictiontoreviewthecase.Hearguedthatthemajority'sopinion
didnotaddresstheissueofstatedefinitionsofmarriageaffectionsamesexcouples.Healso
arguedthattheSupremeCourthadneitherthejurisdictiontoreviewthecasenorthepowerto
invalidatedemocraticallyenactedlegislation.hearguedthatthemajoritysopinionwrongly
assertedthesupremacyoftheSupremeCourtasthefinalarbiterofthegovernment.

b.Obergefellvs.HodgesMajority&MinoritySummarized
MajorityOpinion:
Thecasealsocametotheconclusionofa54majority.Thecourt
heldthattheDueprocessClauseoftheFourteenthAmendmentshouldguaranteetherightto
marryasoneofthefundamentallibertiesitprotects,andthatanalysisappliestosamesex
couplesinthesamemanner.Judicialprecedenthasheldthattherighttomarryisafundamental
libertyduetoitsinheritanceoftheconceptofindividualautonomy.Bygoingthroughwiththis,
childrenandfamiliesaresafeguardedwithintimateassociationandhavebeenhistorically
recognizedasthekeystoneofsocialorder.Becausetherearenodifferencesbetweenasamesex
unionandanoppositesexunionwithrespecttotheseprinciples,theexclusionofsamesex
couplesfromtherighttomarryviolatestheDueProcessClauseoftheFourteenthAmendment.

MinorityOpinion:
Precedentsarguedthattherighttomarryonsamesexcoupleswould
ultimatelystrikedownunconstitutionallimitationsonmarriageasithasbeentraditionally
definedandgovernmentintrusions.ChiefJusticeRobertsalsoarguedthatthemajorityopinion
reliedonanoverlyexpansivereadingoftheDueProcessandEqualProtectionClauseswithout
engaginginjudicialanalysisthatshouldhavebeentraditionallyappliedtosuchclaimsand
violatesthedemocraticprocess.Inresponsetothis,themajorityopinioninsteaddepartedfrom
theestablishedFourteenthAmendmenttocreatearightwherenoneexistsintheConstitution.

IV.QuestionsRegardingTopicofGayMarriage
a. DomesticPartnerships
Whatisthepurposeoftherequirementsifnottomimicmarriage?JusticeMichael
GablemanpressedChristopherClark,anattorneywiththegayadvocacygroup.Clark
countered,sayingthatthelawwaswrittentogivesomecoupleslimitedbenefits,Thisisafar
cryfromalegalmarriage.Wisconsinvotersapprovedthesamesexmarriagebanin2006by
almost20percentagepoints,butDemocratsthanincontrolofthestategovernmentapproved
adomesticpartnerregistryin2009.Opponentsseethiscaseasmoreofadebateover
technicalities.Whilethelikeabilityofbackdoormarriageofgaycoupleshasincreased,itismore
likelytosubvertthewillofthevoters.Foralegislaturetopassademocraticpartnerregistryin
defianceoftheirconstitutionissomethingthatcantgounchallenged.PeterSprigg,Family
ResearchCouncil.

b.TheFourteenthAmendment
DoestheFourteenthAmendmentrequireastatetolicenceamarriagebetweentwo
peopleofthesamesex?Currently,37stateshavegaymarriage:8bylegislativeaction,3by
popularvote,26bycourtorder.Thedecisionleftwiththesimpleanswer:yes.TheFourteenth
Amendmentdidnothavethepropertoolstocompletelysupportgaymarriage,andasaresponse
tothis,supremecourtlegislaturehasinsertedaprotectivesafeguardtoincludethoseofLGBT
orientation.Byrequiringastatetolicenceamarriageoftwosamesexpersons,themarriage
canberecognizedbythegovernmentandinoutofstateendeavors.

V.PublicReactiontoCourtsDecision
UnitedStatesvs.Windsor
Supportforsamesexmarriagehasrisenbydoubledigitsineverymajorreligiousgroup
sincethe2000s,ThenationalCathedral,whichisaffiliatedwiththemainlineEpiscopalChurch,
rangitsbellsatnoononaWednesdayinsupportoftheDOMArulingandopeneditsdoorsfora
specialserviceforLGBTfamiliesandtheirallies.Thepointwastocelebratetheextensionof
federalmarriageequalitytoallofthesamesexcouplesmodelingGodsloveinlifelong
covenants.

Inopposingreligiousfacilities,specificallyleadby
CardinalTimothyDolanofNewYork,hadother
ideasonthematter.Hestatedthatitwasatragedy
formarriageandforournation,thattheSupreme
CourthaddealtaprofoundinjusticefortheAmericanPeoplebystrikingdowninpartthefederal
DefenseofMarriageAct.Hehadstatedthatmarriagebetweenamanandawomanisallthat
matteredundertheeyesofGod,andthatourculturehadtakenforgrantedforfartoolongwhat
humannature,experience,andcommonsensehadtoprovide.

Obergefellvs.Hodges

SupporterseverywherecelebratedthedecisiononJune26,2015abouttheU.S.Supreme

Courtdecisionthatdeemedmarriagebetweenpeopleofthesamesextobeconstitutionally
protectednationwide.Thegovernmentstatesthattheirworkisfarfromover,andthatmarriage

equalityisonesliceofthepie.However,issuessuchashomophobiaandtransphobiamorphinto
differentshapesinlawandpractice.Forexample,theupcomingissueabouttransgenderorqueer
genderpeoplesandtheirrighttouserespectivebathroomsornongenderbathrooms.The
executivedirectoroftheInternationalGayandLesbianHumanRightsCommissionsimply
statedthat,Todayisnotanendbutanewbeginning.TheU.S.joined20othercountries
worldwiderecognizinggaymarriage,while78countriesstilldiscriminatedagainstor
criminalizedhomosexuality.

ManycitizensofthecountriesthatlegalizedgaymarriagelongbeforetheU.S.expressed
congratulationsbutalsopointedoutthatthiswasalongtimecoming,particularlyfromanation
thattheworldviewsasaleaderinhumanrights.TheU.S.isbelievedtoholdsuchastrong
globalinfluence,sopeoplebelievethisdecisionwillechothroughouttheglobe.

VI.PersonalOpiniontoTopic
Inmyopinion,IthinkthatthelegalizationofsamesexmarriageundertheSupreme
Courtwasastepintherightdirection.Ifyoutakesamesexmarriageintoconsiderationwithall
theothermajorCourtrulingstheUnitedStateshashadinthepasttwodecades,youcanseea
patternofgreatchangeandleadershipinsociety.ThoughtheUnitedStateswaslatetotheLGBT
parade,theimageofourleadershipwillprovideanexampleforthose78countriesthathave
abolishedgayrights,andhopefullywillinfluencethemtochangetheirviews.Asfortoday,I
gladlysupporttheLGBTcommunityanditssupportersinthematter.Itwasatremendous
decisionthatwealreadyknewwasgoingtomakepeoplemad.Especiallywiththosewho
identifyasCatholicorMuslim,buttheGovernmenthadtakenadecisionintotheirownhands,
despitethepublicopinion.ThisisthebeginningofalongstringofsupportfromtheSupreme
CourttotheLGBTcommunity.OnJune26,2015,lovewon.

WorksCited

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