Under the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages even in states that have legalized it. This week, the Supreme Court ruled DOMA unconstitutional.

The moment Justice Anthony Kennedy said the words — “Section 3 of DOMA is in violation of the Fifth Amendment” — a muffled cheer pierced the quiet in the Supreme Court chamber.

Forty-four years nearly to the day after drag queens stood their ground against a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, sparking rioting in New York City and marking the beginning of America’s gay rights movement, our nation’s highest court at last held that a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) marks a historic day for gay and lesbian Americans. For the first time, the nation’s highest court has said that we’re equal under the law.

Last week, our Legislature upheld Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill to extend health care coverage to almost 70,000 low- and middle-income Mainers.

It was outrageous for the Supreme Court to invalidate Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act and allow the potential invalidation of California’s Proposition 8, a law passed with the support of more than 7 million voters. Although Wednesday was a sad day for democracy and for marriage, this is not the end of the battle.

Justice was not blind at the Supreme Court on Wednesday. It was deaf — deaf to the will of the people of California and the nation. With its decision in the Perry case, a majority of the Supreme Court abandoned the 7 million California voters who passed Proposition 8.

In the wake of the landmark Supreme Court rulings striking down a key part of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act and returning marriage equality to California, there are now two Americas for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

If our free speech rights were represented by a boxer, he’d be holding onto the ropes to stay upright.

The Supreme Court’s decision this week in Fisher v. University of Texas surprised almost everyone.