Will the Supreme Court Ruling on Marriage Affect Missouri?
In the recent decision United States v Windsor (PDF), the United States Supreme Court held that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional. The court ruled that the federal government could not deny benefits to same-sex couples who were legally married in one of the states that allow such marriages.
Questions still remain for states such as Missouri where same-sex marriages are prohibited, because some federal benefits are based on where a marriage was performed and some on where the couple resides.
A short history of marriage legislation in Missouri can be found at the website of the St. Louis Recorder of Deeds and Vital Records Registrar.
News stories on the Missouri reaction to US v Windsor can be found at:
- News-Leader, "Gay Marriage Ruling Sparks Passionate Reaction From Missouri Lawmakers."
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Many Applaud Gay Marriage Rulings, Though Direct Effect in Missouri and Illinois Will Be Limited."
- Kansas-City Star, "Push for Same-Sex Marriage Seen As Unlikely in Kansas, Missouri."
For more information on this topic, you can read magazine articles* from our MasterFile Premier database, or checkout some of the following books from the Library's collection:
Same-sex marriage in the United States : the road to the Supreme Court / Jason Pierceson
From the closet to the altar : courts, backlash, and the struggle for same-sex marriage / Michael J. Klarman
Debating same-sex marriage / John Corvino and Maggie Gallagher
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