In 2011, more than 28,000 California same-sex couples reported being married, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That includes the 18,000 couples estimated to have been married in the brief time that same-sex marriage was legal in the state. Proposition 8 put an end to that, but now that Wednesday's U.S. Supreme Court decision has effectively invalidated Prop. 8, many more same-sex marriages are sure to follow.
And another decision by the high court yesterday striking down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act could greatly benefit those couples financially. They can now look forward to more than 1,000 federal benefits enjoyed by their opposite-sex counterparts: tax breaks, pensions and immigration rights that are tied to marriage status.
State Assemblywoman Toni Atkins married her partner during that brief window when same-sex marriages were legal. Yesterday Atkins said she's looking forward to the ability to file a joint federal tax return.
"I can stop checking on my state tax forms ‘married.’ And feeling like I’m lying to the federal government when I check ‘single.’
One big impact will be felt in immigration. For years, DOMA, which strictly defines marriage as between a man and a woman, has barred gay Americans from sponsoring their foreign-born partners for spousal visas. Now the high court ruling clears a path for the Obama administration to consider granting green cards to thousands of bi-national gay couples.