Video: Locals Cheer Supreme Court Decision on Same Sex Marriage

(Video by Anna Teregulova)

Locals greeted the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision to strike down the federal Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday with excitement and hope for the future of same-sex marriage.

In a 5 to 4 vote, the court ruled that the 1996 law that barred the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages is unconstitutional. Now couples married in the 12 states that recognize same-sex marriage, including New York, will have the same federal benefits, such estate tax and military spousal benefits, as those in heterosexual marriages.

“When New York adopted a law to permit same-sex marriage, it sought to eliminate inequality; but DOMA frustrates that objective through a system-wide enactment with no identified connection to any particular area of federal law,” wrote Justice Kennedy in the majority opinion. “DOMA writes inequality into the entire United States Code.”

While Clinton Hill and Fort Greene residents said they agreed with the court’s decision, some said that the same-sex marriage movement still has work ahead.