Proposition 8

Origin: Passed in 2008 by 52 percent of California voters.

Effect: Amended the state Constitution to make same-sex marriage illegal.

Plaintiffs: A lesbian couple, Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier, and a gay couple, Paul Katami and Jeffrey Zarrillo.

Defendant: The state of California, which declined to defend the measure in court. (A coalition called ProtectMarriage.com will argue to uphold the ban.)

Rulings to date: In 2010, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker struck down the ban. In February 2012, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld his decision.

Defense of Marriage Act

Origin: Passed by Congress in 1996 with margins of 342-67 in the House and 85-14 in the Senate.

Effect: Defines marriage as between a man and a woman and denies more than 1,100 federal benefits to gay and lesbian couples who are legally married.

Plaintiff: Edie Windsor, an 83-year-old New York woman who paid $363,053 in estate taxes because the IRS did not recognize her marriage to another woman.

Defendant: The Obama administration, which has chosen not to defend the law. (Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement argue to uphold it.)

Rulings to date: In June 2012, U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones found Section 3 of DOMA to be unconstitutional. The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld her decision in October.

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The last Michelin Guide Awards ceremony took place at the Georgia World Congress Center on Monday, Oct 28, 2024.

Credit: Jenni Girtman