Was the Supreme Court Right on DOMA, Prop 8?

Proponents of gay marriage received a lot to celebrate on Wednesday.

About 10 a.m., the Supreme Court released its decision on the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that defines marriage as “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife. By a 5-4 vote, the Court ruled that the law was unconstitutional, a decision that paves the way for same-sex couples to receive the same federal benefits that different-sex couples receive.

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Less than an hour later, the Court announced another 5-4 decision—this one on California’s Proposition 8. The ruling stated that traditional marriage activists who put Prop 8 on the ballot lacked the constitutional authority or standing to defend it in federal courts. The decision is likely to lead to California issuing marriage licenses to gay couples; other states’ bans on same-sex marriages will remain in place, however, as justices did not broach the argument that California’s ban violated gay couples’ constitutional rights.

Was the Supreme Court right in its ruling striking down the Defense of Marriage Act? What about its decision on California’s Proposition 8? Tell us in the comments.