, United States (USA) (American Colonies)
2013 - June 26 -United States v. Windsor 570 U.S. Supreme Court decides that a key part of DOMA, the law that restricts federal recognition of same-sex marriage, is unconstitutional because it violates the equal protection clause of the constitution.
The case of United States v. Windsor originated from the marriage of Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer, who were married in Canada in 2007. When Spyer passed away in 2009, Windsor was required to pay federal estate taxes on Spyer's estate, which she would not have had to pay if her marriage had been recognized under federal law.
Windsor challenged the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage as between one man and one woman for federal purposes. The case made its way to the Supreme Court, where, on June 26, 2013, the Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that Section 3 of DOMA was unconstitutional.
The majority opinion, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, stated that DOMA violated the principles of equal protection under the law by treating same-sex couples who were legally married differently from opposite-sex couples. This decision marked a significant moment in the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights in the United States, paving the way for further legal challenges and ultimately the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015.
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