Celebrating a historic day for gay rights

Thanks to SCOTUS, love is in the air

American University students embrace in D.C.
(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday helped the gay-rights movement take two giant steps forward. In one ruling, the court declared that the federal Defense of Marriage act was unconstitutional, allowing same-sex couples to receive federal benefits. Then the court effectively quashed California's voter-approved ban on gay marriage, known as Proposition 8, by ordering an appeals court to dismiss a case defending the ban.

As the back-to-back rulings were announced, gay rights supporters across the country turned to one another in utter jubilation — tears were shed, kisses were shared, and hearty hugs were passed around. Here, a roundup of such heartwarming reactions.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Lauren Hansen

Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.