Doma Ruling News Today

With the makeup of the state legislature and how you would have to amend the constitution -- >> one-third of the country right now can be married legally. one-third of the country. you cant have that number and not have it be a point for the rest of the country. >> people move from other states. >> i dont think this will be a legislative solution in virginia and other states. i think the doma ruling sets the stage for a national legalization or recognition of same-sex marriage from state to stat...

Did not make a blanket ruling that applies nationally but rather lifted up the ability of states to recognize the dignity and respect of same sex marriage, and that the federal government couldnt negate the decision by those states. >> now heres whats happened in the last 24 hours since these historic rulings came down. president obama has asked attorney general eric holder with overseeing changes in cabinet agencies in response to the doma ruling. defense department is beginning to distribute s...

Community. >> okay, ill buy that. >> lennie gerber and pearl berlin were introduced to the world in the know and love campaign last year. and joining me from their home in north carolina. lennie and pearl, welcome back to the show. and lennie, tell me how it felt when you saw the supreme court rulings come down. >> i was just thrilled. i particularly was just exhilirated when i heard the doma ruling, because i was scared they were going to do it on very narrow grounds of states rights. and that ...

When you saw the supreme court rulings come down. >> i was just thrilled. i particularly was just exhilirated when i heard the doma ruling, because i was scared they were going to do it on very narrow grounds of states rights. and that wouldnt have been good. but they did it on equality which was so important. and i was just thrilled to death. >> now, pearl, the last time you were on the show you were both on the show, it was just after north carolina had passed an amendment banning marriage equ...

Have a look at this. todays doma ruling is a historic step forward for marriage equality, love is love. there you have it. melissa etheridge joins me live now on the telephone from new york. melissa, its no secret that you have been not only married yourself, but you have four children. this has been a very big case for you. this has been almost lifes work for you. i want to get your initial reactions to hearing these decisions today. >> oh, love is love and america is beautiful. its a wonderful...

The 84-year-old plaintiff in the defense of marriage act case. joining me is the distinguished fellow and michael waldman, host of up with steve kornacki and maggie hab berman and also joining us from outside the supreme court is nbc justice correspondent pete williams. the great pete williams. how are you, pete? >> good day. >> pete, can you explain to us, those who dont understand, the technical ruling in prop 8. we get that doma was struck down meaning that the federal government will recog...

Contributing editor u.s. news and world report, syndicated columnist, charles krauthammer. steve, these are two big wins for gay rights advocates tonight. >> theres no question. the doma ruling in particular is the bigger of two wins, in part because of the way justice kennedy laid out his argument, which seems to set up further court battles in the future in which proponents of gay marriage will basically say this is unconstitutional because we think the states cannot ban gay marriage any longe...

Were talking would this be the 50 state solution? it isnt really. this goes back to california. talking about prop 8, it goes back to california. you can have gay marriage in california. the next question is if you look at doma, okay, if you have gay marriage in california or in new york, one of the other states that allows it, the federal government has to recognize it. you still have an issue where if youre a citizen of new york and you want to move to florida and retire, lots of people in new...

Glorious way to do it, and she would be so pleased. thank you all. >> what was your first reaction when you heard the case -- when you heard the decision? what was your very first reaction? >> i cried. i cried. thrilled, obviously. but, yeah, the immediate residential reaction was just tears. >> if thea were here -- >> that was edith windsor, a gay woman who started the case. to recap the case, today in a landmark ruling for gay rights the supreme court in a 5-4 decision struck down the federal ...

Defense of marriage act and then prop 8 just five years ago and today. does it feel swift to you? >> it feels at once switch, almost disorientingly so, but also like its taken a lifetime. were all a little, i think, shocked and teary as edie windsor rightfully so was today. i was today listening to the verdict for couples who lived and died under the discrimination that so many same-sex couples have been subjected to. historically this decision and this justice comes too late. for couples who li...