The Supreme Court did not rule on two
cases related to gay marriage on Monday, one of only a handful of
Decision Days left in the current term.
The high court released five opinions
on Monday morning.
“No voting rights or same-sex
marriage today,” SCOTUSblog tweeted to its more than 106,000
followers. “Waiting on word on next day.”
The court said that it would return on
Tuesday.
The cases, which were heard by the
justices in March, challenge the constitutionality of Proposition 8,
California's gay marriage ban, and the Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA), which prohibits federal agencies from recognizing the legal
marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
Meanwhile, supporters are preparing
win-or-lose
events throughout the nation to mark the occasion. In
California, AFER, the group formed to challenge Prop 8, is promoting
its Decision
Day event, which will take place in West Hollywood at 5:30PM on
the day the court rules.
Of course, whether to celebrate or
commiserate remains the question. Experts predict that the court
will strike down DOMA.
The possible outcomes in Hollingsworth
v. Perry, the Prop 8 case, vary from a narrow decision allowing
the plaintiffs in the case, two gay couples, to marry, to a broad
ruling which could affect the entire nation. The court could also
uphold Prop 8. But more likely, experts say, is a decision that
would limit the expansion of such rights to California.