Nine Days & Counting: Couples in gay marriage case await a landmark ruling

[Fearless]

Ritchie, a state police detective, and Bush, who worked at the New England Journal of Medicine before the boys were born, were wed in 2004, soon after Massachusetts became the first state to allow gay marriage. And four years ago, they joined the first broad lawsuit challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, of 1996. They say the law violates the Constitution's promise of equal protection of the laws.

Now, the issue is before the Supreme Court, one of two gay marriage controversies to be heard this month. Both raise questions of equality and fairness. On March 26, the court will consider California's Proposition 8 to decide whether the voters' ban on same-sex marriage wrongly denies gays and lesbians an equal right to marry. And on March 27, the court will consider whether DOMA wrongly denies married gay couples equal benefits under federal law.

Legal experts on the left and right foresee the DOMA case yielding a landmark ruling. "It's enormously important. No gay person is really married in this country as long as DOMA remains on the books," said Walter Dellinger, a former Clinton administration lawyer who says the law should be struck down...

Though it is less than 20 years old, DOMA is seen by some as outdated, given the rapid changes in laws and in public opinion on gays and lesbians. "It was a very different time," said former President Clinton, explaining recently why he thinks the law he signed should be struck down.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-doma-20130318,0,560024.story

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Are you ready?

[LeftofObama]

1. I'm ready.

At his point I would say I'm cautiously optimistic.