Supreme Court Gay Marriage Decision LIVE Updates: DOMA, PROP 8 Expected Thursday

At the end of June, the Supreme Court will issue its opinions on Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. It will be a historical and pivotal moment in the debate over gay marriage and LGBT rights. 

At the heart of this legal debate are two significantly different cases. Proposition 8 was a ballot initiative in California where a plurality of voters elected to define marriage as between one man and one woman. The DOMA case is a matter of federal law. Section 3 of that law restricts federal benefits from being conferred on same-sex couples, whose marriages have been recognized at the state level. Taken together, the courts opinions will shape the political and legal landscape, and American cultural life, for the foreseeable future.

Court watchers expect the decisions to be released on Thursday, June 27, but it could be as early as Monday, June 24.