United States Supreme Court to Hear Two Same-Sex Marriage Cases

As reported in Bill Mears, Supreme Court takes up same-sex marriage, CNN, Dec. 7, 2012:

The Supreme Court will tackle the contentious issue of same-sex marriage, agreeing to hear two constitutional challenges to state and federal laws dealing with the recognition of gay and lesbian couples to legally wed.

In a one-page order on Friday, the court took on what will be one of the most important issues in its history. * * *

Oral arguments will likely be held in March with a ruling by late June.

One appeal to be heard involves the federal Defense of Marriage Act or DOMA, which denies federal benefits to same-sex couples legally married in their own state.

The second is a challenge to California's Proposition 8, a voter-approved referendum that took away the right of same sex-marriage that previously had been approved by the state's courts.

See also Jess Bravin, Supreme Court to Hear Gay-Marriage Cases, Wall St. J., Dec. 7, 2012 and Marcia Coyle, Supreme Court to Hear Historic Same-Sex Marriage Cases, The BLT, December 7, 2012.