Crowds cheer top court decision for gay marriage rights
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sweltering">sweltering</span> <span word="morning">morning</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Wednesday">Wednesday</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sidewalk">sidewalk</span> <span word="outside">outside</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="Supreme">Supreme</span> <span word="Court">Court</span>, <span word="huge">huge</span> <span word="crowds">crowds</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="cheering">cheering</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="court">court</span> <span word="struck">struck</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="federal">federal</span> <span word="provision">provision</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="denies">denies</span> <span word="legally">legally</span> <span word="married">married</span> <span word="gay">gay</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lesbian">lesbian</span> <span word="couples">couples</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="benefits">benefits</span> <span word="enjoyed">enjoyed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="married">married</span> <span word="couples">couples</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="nine">nine</span> <span word="justices">justices</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="stopped">stopped</span> <span word="short">short</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="explicitly">explicitly</span> <span word="legalizing">legalizing</span> <span word="same">same</span>-<span word="sex">sex</span> <span word="marriage">marriage</span> <span word="nationwide">nationwide</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> 5-4 <span word="decision">decision</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="court">court</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="struck">struck</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="Section">Section</span> 3 <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Defense">Defense</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Marriage">Marriage</span> <span word="Act">Act</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="denied">denied</span> <span word="federal">federal</span> <span word="benefits">benefits</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="married">married</span> <span word="gay">gay</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lesbian">lesbian</span> <span word="couples">couples</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="strictly">strictly</span> <span word="defining">defining</span> <span word="marriage">marriage</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="union">union</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="woman">woman</span>.</p><p><span word="Speaking">Speaking</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> 5-4 <span word="majority">majority</span>, <span word="Justice">Justice</span> <span word="Anthony">Anthony</span> <span word="Kennedy">Kennedy</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="DOMA">DOMA</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="unconstitutional">unconstitutional</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="violated">violated</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="liberty">liberty</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="equal">equal</span> <span word="protection">protection</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="gay">gay</span> <span word="couples">couples</span>.</p><p>"<span word="By">By</span> <span word="seeking">seeking</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="display">display</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="protection">protection</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="treating">treating</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="persons">persons</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="marriages">marriages</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="respected">respected</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="others">others</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="federal">federal</span> <span word="statute">statute</span>" <span word="violates">violates</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Constitution">Constitution</span>, <span word="Kennedy">Kennedy</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="ruling">ruling</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Wednesday">Wednesday</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 100,000 <span word="same">same</span>-<span word="sex">sex</span> <span word="couples">couples</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="legally">legally</span> <span word="married">married</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="finally">finally</span> <span word="enjoy">enjoy</span> <span word="federal">federal</span> <span word="benefits">benefits</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="tax">tax</span> <span word="breaks">breaks</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pension">pension</span> <span word="rights">rights</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="available">available</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="heterosexual">heterosexual</span> <span word="couples">couples</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="Pew">Pew</span> <span word="Center">Center</span> <span word="survey">survey</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="May">May</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="half">half</span> (51 <span word="percent">percent</span>) <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Americans">Americans</span> <span word="favored">favored</span> <span word="allowing">allowing</span> <span word="gay">gay</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lesbians">lesbians</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="marry">marry</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="survey">survey</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="that">that</span> 72 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="citizens">citizens</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="legal">legal</span> <span word="recognition">recognition</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="same">same</span>-<span word="sex">sex</span> <span word="marriage">marriage</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="inevitable">inevitable</span>.</p>
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