WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

What are the possible Prop 8 and DOMA outcomes and legal ramifications of each case? The Justices seemed to be looking for a way out of making a big decision, which opens the door to all sorts of possibilities.

Log Cabin Republicans spent $100,000 to attack Chuck Hagel's 14 year old comments, but stayed mum of John Boehner's move to continue defense of DOMA.

Nothing's certain, but history suggests the Supreme Court has a good chance of repealing DOMA.

If Mitt Romney wins the election and keeps his promise to name judges in the mold of Antonin Scalia, civil rights are in deep trouble at nation's court of last resort. 

While civil unions are good news for some in the community, others are skeptical. Yasmin Nair is a co-founder of Against Equality, an online publishing and arts collective that critiques mainstream gay and lesbian politics.

As of June 1, couples around Illinois can enter civil unions. The news is particularly good for many in the gay and lesbian community, who don’t have the right to marry, but not everyone is celebrating.

In some states many same-sex couples are using their returns to point out the effect that DOMA - The Defense of Marriage Act - has on their tax status. DOMA defines marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. So same sex married couples cannot file federal joint tax returns.