Top story: It’s day two of the Supreme Court’s oral arguments over same-sex marriage. At bat: the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) case. It’s part love story, part tax nightmare—which means it has something for everyone, liberal or conservative.
- “Under DOMA, even if same-sex couples could legally marry in all fifty states, the federal government could still pretend they weren’t spouses.” Striking it down “would mean that same-sex marriages would be, simply, marriages, in every American context. It would make the injustice of the situation in states without marriage equality even plainer.” (The New Yorker)
- “Marriage Equality Now” flashed in big, block letters on the front of the Supreme Court building last night. (Rach & Jen)
- Occupy alumni are freezing off 100% of themselves while sleeping in front of the Supreme Court building. (Betsy Woodruff)
- “An 83-year-old widow with a huge tax bill is the perfect person to bring down an anti-gay law Bill Clinton signed in 1996.” (Business Insider)
- An excellent profile of the love story of Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer, whose love story forms the basis of DOMA’s United States v. Windsor case. Oh, and a note to single people everywhere: Want to meet the love of your life? Know how to dance. (Buzzfeed Politics)
- A history of the restaurant where Edith Windsor met Thea Spyer, this piece is also a trip back into glorious, old New York City. (City Room)
- The DOMA case is about Edith Windsor’s estate tax bill. However, “The income tax is where the action is: The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples face different income tax bills because of DOMA.” (Tax Policy Center)
- But let’s not forget the political context: “SCOTUS today is Obama administration vs. House Republicans on DOMA.” (Domenico Montanaro)
- “Those defending DOMA have been strangely unwilling to make their arguments outside of the court.” (NPR)
- Of course, House Republicans were willing to spent $3 million in taxpayer money to defend it. (The Hill)
- The 1996 law is an uncomfortable chapter in the history of the Clinton Administration—a chapter that Bob Shrum has said didn’t end until much later than people think. (Buzzfeed Politics) and (The Atlantic Wire)
- The Onion: “Supreme Court on Gay Marriage: ‘Sure, Who Cares’” (The Onion)
John Flowers