Another Step Forward: Advances in an Era of Acceptance

KresLynn Knouse, Assistant News Editor, @KresLynn

 

This Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA—a law that prevented same-sex couples from having federally recognized marriages—was unconstitutional. DOMA was signed in 1996 by President Bill Clinton, representative of the immense change in public opinion that has taken place in the last 17 years.

 

According to the Pew Research Center, 65 percent of Americans opposed gay marriage in 1990. In comparison, the same poll was given in 2013 by CBS News with an astounding 53 percent of Americans in favor of gay marriage.

 

The results of the Supreme Court’s decision had people across the nation celebrating what some call a “victory for equality”. Tom Hawkins, President of Spectrum—UVU’s LGBTQI/Straight Alliance Club—believes this decision is a great step forward.

 

“This is a huge step for what people have been fighting for since the Stonewall riots. I was very pleased that it went that way, but really, it was headed that way eventually,” said Hawkins. “More and more states are accepting same-sex marriage, and even though same-sex marriage may not be federally passed, I don’t think it will be long before the nation accepts it.”

 

Overall, the decision shows how much can change in only a matter of years. After decades of protests, parades, legal battles, and people continuing to fight for their rights, same-sex marriages are now recognized at a federal level.