Politics & Government
Local Residents Respond As Supreme Court Strikes Down DOMA
The Court ruled 5-4 that the ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, violating the Fifth Amendment. Here's what DuPage County residents had to say about the decision.
Patch Editor Shannon Antinori contributed to this story.
The Supreme Court announced its decision Wednesday that the Defense of Marriage Act — a law barring the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages — is unconstitutional and violates the Fifth Amendment.
In the majority opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy called the federal statute invalid, adding that the law "for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the State, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity. By seeking to displace this protection and treating those persons as living in marriages less respected than others, the federal statute is in violation of the Fifth Amendment.” Click to read the full text of the ruling.
Congressman Bill Foster (D-11) praised the court's decision to strike down the statute, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996.
“My father was a civil rights lawyer, and I was raised with a strong belief that all people deserve equal rights and protection under the law,” Foster said in a statement released Wednesday morning. “That is why I am pleased to see that the Supreme Court has upheld the ideals of our Constitution and struck down DOMA. While this is truly a historic day for members of the LGBT community across the country, we must continue to do everything possible to ensure equal rights for all of our citizens. I will continue to stand with the LGBT community in their struggle for equality, because everyone -- no matter who they are, where they came from, or who they love – deserve equal rights under the law.”
Suzanne Anderson-Hurdle, pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Romeoville and an outspoken gay rights activist, said she was ecstatic about the decision on Wednesday.
"I am thrilled," she said. "It's also bittersweet because our Illinois brothers and sisters can't celebrate with the others," Anderson-Hurdle added, referring to the Illinois legislature's failure to take action on a bill that would legalize gay marriage during its last legislative session.
Anderson-Hurdle said she hopes the Supreme Court's decision will spur Illinois lawmakers into action.
"This may change things," she said. "It's going to be really hard [for legislators] to pass discriminatory laws."
In Chicago, LGBT groups were planning to celebrate the ruling and to push Illinois legislators to legalize gay marriage with a Wednesday night rally at Halsted and Roscoe.
The decision is a win for gay rights activists, who scored another victory Wednesday as the high court also voted 5-4 that Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in the state of California, is also unconstitutional.
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Here's what DuPage County Patch users had to say about the ruling:
Scott Collis: A good day. The federal government has no place telling you who you should or should not love. —Hinsdale Patch Facebook
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Lori Galandak-Anthony: Let’s start calling dogs, cats… So glad to be moving to Texas soon. We've had all that we can take. Can't stand liberals and their thinking. —Hinsdale Patch Facebook
Robert Haras: Love is love. Let people be and let all sinners be judged when the time comes. For those who have sinned then you have some to say. —Darien Patch Facebook
Krissy Sandberg Ball: I live in California, and I had to live through all the gay bashing of Prop 8 supporters, especially when it passed here in California. I am so happy for my gay friends and family members. It's a great day! —Lemont Patch Facebook
Linda Basiorka: This is a sad sad day. If God wanted man and man to get married or woman with woman then he would let them reproduce on their own without outside help… When two men or two women can procreate on their own then maybe I would agree. So sick hearing about how they have no rights.—Lemont Patch Facebook
Kate Horne Rutledge: Woohoo! Finally, we can recognize that which unites us: LOVE. Hopefully those with a closed mind to love can begin to see that love needs no definition. I know many will disagree, and hopefully will not choose to cast hatred toward those who have been persecuted and now who can celebrate. This is a great day forward for our country. —Lemont Patch Facebook
Becki Thanos Benson: They ruled correctly. The constitution is upheld! And as a bonus, my many wonderful friends can marry! —Elmhurst Patch Facebook
Kevyn Lange: I have nothing personally against anyone's sexual orientation...but I think this nation has far more important issues at hand. This looks like a victory for Obama, while it is actually a defeat for Clinton (who signed DOMA into law in 1996). This ruling further tugs on the tear that was created in the fabric of our nation in 2008. —Elmhurst Patch Facebook
Rebecca Delgadillo: I am pleased that the court has seen what we have all known all along: No one person should be denied any rights based on how they chose to live their life, be it sexual preference, race or religion. If a couple wants to make the ultimate commitment to each other no law should stop them, love is love regardless. —Elmhurst Patch Facebook
Bob Fishell: I agree with the decision and the grounds for dismissal. It's a states' rights issue, clear-cut. Surprised that it took this long for the court to recognize that.” —Naperville Patch Facebook
Heather Jarmusz: Yeah, now is the time to pass the freedom to marry act in Illinois! Lucky #13! —Naperville Patch Facebook
Gerard Schilling: Continued dumbing down of our cultural values so that hedonism is equivalent to a normal family and the ones who will suffer are the children who in these relationships will be psychosexually confused to the point of depression and desperation… No one cares what two consenting adults do but when the GLBT groups start impacting child education, continually have gross and obscene displays of their perversions, distort scientific studies on child rearing and welfare and portray their life style as normal and natural it’s time to kick the PC nonsense to the curb. —Naperville Patch Facebook
Robin Loy Catalano: And the children from all of the so called normal families who cheat, lie, abuse, etc aren't going to suffer because, well at least their parents aren't gay! We are just doing such a superb job in this country raising our children. I'm sure they are really going I suffer from this decision. Get with the times. Do some research. You don't become gay. You are born that way. Children won't be any more sexually confused than they already are. —Naperville Patch Facebook
What's your take? Tell us in the comments.
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