In dissenting opinion Justice John
Roberts argued justices have the
responsibility to determine what the
law is, not what the law should be. This
argument said states have the right
to determine for themselves within
those legislative bodies whether or not
same-sex marriage is legal.
Key to Kennedy’s decision in favor
of same-sex marriage was consider-
ation of the evolution of marriage, in
addition to a recognition of its history.
“The
centrality
of
marriage
to the human condition makes it
unsurprising that the institution
has existed for millennia and across
civilizations,” Kennedy wrote. “The
petitioners acknowledge this his-
tory but contend that these cases
cannot end there. Far from seeking
to devalue marriage, the petition-
ers seek it for themselves because
of their respect—and need—for its
privileges and responsibilities. And
their immutable nature dictates that
same-sex marriage is their only real
path to this profound commitment.”
Outside the courthouse, onlook-
ers erupted with cheers when the
decision was released.
Following
their
excitement,
there was a moment of silence until
shortly thereafter the Washington
D.C. Gay Men’s choir, standing in
the back, began to sing a verse of the
Star Spangled Banner. “USA” chants
started filling the crowd.
That festive atmosphere remained
at the Court for the hours after the
decision, with hundreds of people
still gathered two hours after the
decision was announced, waving
flags and breaking out into sponta-
neous cheers, as the men’s choir kept
singing intermittently.
Stu Maddux, a resident of San
Francisco California, was one of
many people gathered outside the
Court Friday morning. He and oth-
ers in attendance traveled long dis-
tances across the nation to witness
this historic decision.
“We came in from California just
to be here for this,” Maddux said.
“We cried. We got married when
Prop 8 was repealed, but to be out
here for this, it feels even more
affirming. It really can’t be taken
away now.”
John Michael Eclar, a D.C. resi-
dent, said achieving marriage equal-
ity and gaining large amounts of
support was unimaginable, charac-
terizing the event as surreal.
“Marriage equality across the
nation is a thing I didn’t think I
would see in my lifetime. Growing
up in Virginia, where I was this...
really insecure awkward person
where in my upbringing I thought
that being gay was a sin and it was
something that I couldn’t accept
personally,” Eclar said. “And as I was
growing up, and the way the country
was evolving, it was just amazing to
see how supportive everybody start-
ed to become.”
Justin Quam, also a D.C. resi-
dent, said he too was in awe of the
Court’s ruling.
“I’m just amazed that we’re here
to see it,” Quam said. “I remember a
couple of years ago, I made a bet with
my brother of when marriage equal-
ity would be the law of the land, and
I bet him it would be before 2020.
And even at the time, I thought I was
going to lose that bet for sure.”
Joe Goldma, a D.C. resident, said
having moved to D.C. from Texas, he
feels relieved to be able to celebrate
and enjoy a sense of community he
never experienced before. Goldma,
who was dressed up as U.S. Supreme
Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,
said he chose the outfit in honor of
Ginsburg’s perseverance.
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg had to
overcome a lot of obstacles to get
where she is, whether it was in her
advocacy, as an advocate lawyer and
of course as a judge,” Goldma said.
“And for me it’s sort of inspiration,
to continue to push and break those
glass ceilings, to be the person that I
want to be.”
Conor Rogers, a D.C. resident
who went to the Court to hear the
decision with his partner, said the
Court’s ruling is one that will go
down in history.
“This is the kind of thing that
your kids will read in textbooks, and
they’ll be like, where were you when
it happened?” Rogers said. “And so
to be literally here is kind of amaz-
ing.If you went back in time and told
me when I was fifteen years old, I’d
be surprised,” Rogers said. “But I
think as time went on, I think people
knew this was inevitable, whether it
was by the Court or by the vote.”
Al Gerhardstein, attorney for lead
plaintiff Jim Obergefell, also par-
ticipated in celebrations outside the
court. He said the court’s decision
carried much emotional weight.
“It’s all very exciting, and it’s also
very personal...in the bar section
in the courtroom I was listening to
all these otherwise jaded lawyers
weep,” he said. “And I’m among it. I
mean, it’s that profound that you can
do nothing other than emote, when
you realise what’s going on.”
Gerhardstein said though there
may be more complications to face
in the future, today was a victory
worth celebrating.
“I don’t know how that’ll fare,” he
said. “I haven’t even read the deci-
sion yet, so I don’t know where the
loopholes are, that they’re going to
be hunting for. So that’s tomorrow.
Today is champagne.”
Justices were considering sev-
eral cases that challenged same-sex
marriage bans in Kentucky, Ohio,
Tennessee and Michigan, which
were consolidated under the name
Obergefell v. Hodges. Opening argu-
ments for the case began in April.
Michigan’s case, DeBoer v. Sny-
der, began in January 2012 when
Michigan residents April DeBoer
and Jayne Rowse filed a lawsuit in
the U.S. District Court, challeng-
ing Michigan’s ban on adoption by
same-sex couples.
DeBoer and Rowse separately
adopted one son and two daugh-
ters, respectively, but were unable to
jointly adopt their children because
Michigan does not recognize same-
3
Thursday, July 2, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com NEWS
Debbie Dingell holds long-term care dialogue
Talk sets the stage
for upcoming White
House conference
By LARA MOEHLMAN
Summer Managing News Editor
Congresswoman Debbie Ding-
ell (MI–12) met with a group of
senior citizens Monday morning
at the Pittsfield Township Senior
Center to facilitate a dialogue on
the long-term care system in the
U.S.
The discussion was one of sev-
eral hosted by Dingell before the
upcoming White House Confer-
ence on Aging held in Washington
D.C. in July.
Monday’s
discussion,
which
garnered a packed crowd at the
Senior Center, was particularly
relevant following the Supreme
Court’s recent decision to uphold
the Affordable Care Act, which
Dingell said does not address the
issue of long-term care.
“I’m very glad last week that the
Supreme Court ruled the way they
did on the Affordable Care Act,”
Dingell said during the discussion.
“It’s not a perfect bill– we can keep
working to get it fixed, but the fact
of the matter is, is that it does not
do very much for long-term care or
do anything for seniors, and we’ve
got to keep working on that.”
The Dingell family has been
involved in health care reform
throughout
history.
Dingell’s
husband, John Dingell, was an
original author of the Affordable
Care Act, which President Obama
signed into law in 2010. John
Dingell’s father, the late John
Dingell Sr., also introduced a bill
in congress to provide national
health insurance every year he
was in the House until his passing
in 1955.
Dingell herself introduced the
Medicare Hearing Aid Coverage
Act of 2015 and has also released
a Long-term Care Guidebook,
which provides resources for resi-
dents of Southeast Michigan deal-
ing with long-term health issues.
Dingell said the current long-
term care system in Michigan is
a maze of unintegrated systems
that are difficult to navigate and
that are not designed to be helpful.
She also said she is particularly
focused on long-term care reform
because it is an issue she is cur-
rently dealing with herself, citing
her husband’s recent health issues.
“I say to everybody I’m on a
journey myself,” she said. “It’s
been a rough year. I’m not gonna
lie to you, and it’s one of the rea-
sons that I’m really focused on
these issues– because I’ve been
living a lot of these issues myself,”
said Dingell.
Dingell also stressed her disap-
pointment with Medicare’s failure
See DINGELL, Page 8
MARRIAGE
From Page 1
ALEXANDRIA BODFISH/Daily
Ann Arbor residents talk about the issues black people in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti face today at the Black Lives Matter
Community Barbecue on Saturday.
BL ACK LIVES M AT TE R
Read more at MichiganDaily.com