Atlanta’s LGBT Community Happy with DOMA Decision

Fromherz, who is gay, is a professor at Georgia State University.

“I think it shows that the path to equality is seen in front of us and to feel recognition as an actual citizen in this country, it’s really overwhelming.”

Atlanta resident Leigh Alderman is also happy with the ruling.  But she noted the Defense of Marriage Act ruling came one day after the Supreme Court ruled Section Four of the Votings Rights Act unconstitutional.

“So I feel like, on one hand there’s a victory, you know, gays and lesbians, and that community and then on the other, there’s a little bit of a deflation in rights.”

Todd Link has been with his partner for 27 years.  In Georgia, gay marriage is illegal and violates the state’s constitution.  Because of that, he doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to say “I do” in Georgia.

“I still think there’s a long, lot more court battles to be won before that ever happens.”

Rick Robbins hopes the ruling sends a message to people who still feel marriage should be defined as a union between a man and a woman.

“I would strongly recommend that they don’t have a gay marriage.  That they just, you know, do what’s good for them and let me do what’s good for me.”

Jackson Franco, meanwhile, hopes the ruling draws a finer line between the powers that be and individual freedom.

“The government doesn’t need to tell us who we can marry, what we can put in our bodies, stay out of our lives and let us live.  Tax us, defend us and stay out of our lives.”

The Supreme Court’s decision was split among familiar lines.  Justices Breyer, Ginsburg, Kagan, Kennedy and Sotomayor backed the decision.  Justices Alito, Roberts, Scalia and Thomas dissented.