Fights over gay marriage are just getting started

The Supreme Court decisions on gay marriage, while historic, didn’t settle the issue. In fact, they fuel it.

For President Obama, the repercussions of the June 26 ruling striking down part of the Defense of Marriage Act will mean review and revisions for hundreds of federal laws. In everything from Social Security checks to Pentagon benefits, gay married couples now must be treated the same way as heterosexual couples.

For gay rights advocates, the accompanying decision, which opened the door to resume same-sex marriages in California, bolstered determination to expand the right to wed for gay men and lesbians. The Human Rights Campaign set a goal to achieve that right in all 50 states within the next five years.