LGBT advocates celebrate Supreme Court ruling

The Supreme Court made a historic decision Wednesday to further gay rights. The courts decided to strike down part of the national Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed states to refuse to recognize same sex marriage. That will extend over 1,000 federal benefits to married gay couples.

In the second case, the justices decided that California’s Proposition 8 on marriage ban, was unconstitutional. They also said that proponents of the case did not have the legal standings to argue their case in court.

LGBT advocates said that today’s decision marked a historic end to California’s long struggle for marriage equality, after a five-year battle to repeal the discriminatory ban.

Supporters in Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo celebrated along the coast by rallying in various areas of the city.

Wednesday’s decision makes California the 13th state to allow gay-marriage and also the largest.