Over the last year, President Barack Obama has spoken in support of marriage equality. And yesterday, with the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act and Prop 8, President Obama and countless others rejoiced as the nation moved toward equality for all citizens.
To celebrate the landmark ruling, President Obama called Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, two of the plaintiffs who challenged Prop 8, while they were appearing on MSNBC. Obama then released a full statement to the public lauding the high court for “righting” the “wrong” that was DOMA.
“I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act,” said President Obama. “This was discrimination enshrined in law. It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it. We are a people who declared that we are all created equal — and the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.
“This ruling is a victory for couples who have long fought for equal treatment under the law; for children whose parents’ marriages will now be recognized, rightly, as legitimate; for families that, at long last, will get the respect and protection they deserve; and for friends and supporters who have wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and have worked hard to persuade their nation to change for the better.
“So we welcome today’s decision, and I’ve directed the Attorney General to work with other members of my Cabinet to review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for Federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly,” said President Obama.
We couldn’t agree more with the president. Check out what some other politicians had to say about the landmark decision below. –nicholas robinson
