While You Were Being Gay

The Supreme Court has crippled the Voting Rights Act, paving the way for gerrymandering, voter discrimination, and the imminent disenfranchisement of undesirables from the electorate.

          On Wednesday, June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States of America, in a 5-4 split decision, struck down key provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage as being strictly between one man and one woman and therefore denied equal rights to same-sex married couples throughout the nation. The decision, considered a large victory for the gay rights movement, was hailed throughout the country. CNN reports that over 30% of the United States’ population will be affected by the ruling, as same-sex married couples gain equal access to 1138 federal marriage benefits.

            This of course is a good thing, something long in coming, ever since President Bill Clinton signed DOMA into law way back in 1996. And although the court’s ruling does not affect state marriage definitions and laws, same-sex couples are right to feel that they have been handed a long over-due victory, that they have realized some measure of equality in the eyes of the federal govt.

            The ruling was of course met with much celebration. Facebook superstar and homosexual Star Trek alumnus George Takei released a flurry of memes and posts, and throughout the nation gay couples, as well as their friends, families, and supporters, could be seen and heard on the internet and the streets voicing their relief and happiness.

            Go gay rights.

            Gay rights FTW.

            However, what was far less publicized, what was met with a much less vocal reaction, and what American’s do not see in their news feeds or from their preferred media outlets, was the court’s ruling the day before.

            On Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in another 5-4 split decision, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.