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What was the outcome of the Supreme Court case UNITED STATES v. WINDSOR?

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.

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.

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