Supreme Court Overturns DOMA

In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26 overturned the Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA], ruling that the law violates the Fifth Amendment.

Earlier this year, Rhode Island became the 10th state to approve same-sex marriage following a vote by the General Assembly.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, saying that the law effectively treats same-sex couples "as living in marriages less respected than others," the Huffington Post reported.

Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan sided with Kennedy in the ruling. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Samuel Alito, and Clarence Thomas dissented.

Signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996, DOMA prevented same-sex couples from receiving federal benefits. The U.S. Justice Department had represented the government in trying to uphold the law until 2011, when President Barack Obama ordered the department to stop defending DOMA, saying he felt the law was unconstitutional.

Tell us: What do you think about the Supreme Court decision to overturn DOMA? Do you think, as the majority of justices did, that DOMA created two classes of marriage? And do you think that same-sex couples should be treated the same when it comes to federal benefits?

Have your say in the comments section below.