The Supreme Court's ruling in United States v.
Windsor struck down Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which had defined marriage as between one man and one woman for federal purposes.
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The case was brought by Edith Windsor, who was required to pay over $363,000 in federal estate taxes after the death of her spouse Thea Spyer, because their same-sex marriage was not recognized under DOMA.
The Court's 5-4 decision held that DOMA's definition of marriage violated the Fifth Amendment's due process and equal protection guarantees by discriminating against same-sex couples.
The ruling meant that legally married same-sex couples were entitled to the same federal benefits and protections as opposite-sex married couples, including tax benefits, Social Security survivor benefits, and immigration rights.
The decision did not legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, as that would come two years later in the Obergefell v.
Hodges ruling.
However, it was a major step towards marriage equality.
The Court's reasoning relied in part on the fact that marriage laws have traditionally been the domain of the states, and DOMA improperly interfered with a state's ability to define marriage.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, who authored the majority opinion, wrote that DOMA's "purpose and effect" was "to disparage and to injure" same-sex couples, reflecting an anti-gay animus.
The case attracted significant amicus curiae ("friend of the court") briefs from a diverse array of individuals and organizations, underscoring its far-reaching implications.
The ruling had immediate practical impacts, as same-sex couples were able to access over 1,000 federal benefits and protections that had previously been denied to them.
Many legal experts viewed the decision as a major victory for civil rights, noting it represented the Court's most significant ruling on LGBTQ+ rights since Lawrence v.
Texas in 2003.
The case was decided just a decade after the Court's 2003 ruling in Lawrence v.
Texas, which struck down laws criminalizing same-sex sexual activity, highlighting the rapid evolution of LGBTQ+ rights.
While a landmark ruling, the Court's decision in United States v.
Windsor was limited in scope, as it did not create a nationwide right to same-sex marriage, which would come later with Obergefell v.
Hodges.