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The legalization of Gay marriage is a very popular issue in the United States. The popularity of the issue alone makes the outcome very important to the American people. The debate is multifaceted. Should gay marriage be legal? Should gay couples be allowed to adopt children? Is it constitutional to withhold federal rights from gay couples? Then, there’s the media, throwing around their opinions and trying to influence the opinions of the public. However, even though gay marriage is, in most cases, portrayed positively by the media it is still a source of major debate. The legalization of gay marriage could positively effect the American public in many ways. The most recent development in this issue is the Supreme Court ruling on the case of U.S. v. Windsor. It was decided on June 26, 2013 that section 3 of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, is unconstitutional under the fifth amendment. It directly violates the clause stating that all American citizens will receive equal protection under the law (Metro). Section 3 of DOMA states that “marriage” will be defined as a union between one man and one woman. DOMA also states that “spouse” will be defined as a person of the opposite sex to whom one is married (Unites States Cong.). When asked, JayChristopher Williams, 21 at the time DOMA was passed, stated that he felt that, “It was, for me as a youngish gay when passed, a codified sign that the government believed I was a second class citizen.” The law was quite a shock for him, being from a higher class southern family in Mobile, Alabama. He had always felt that he was just as good as anyone else. Later in the interview he stated that the law caused him to essentially give up on the institution of marriage. Since i... ... middle of paper ... ...nited States." Williams Institute. N.p., Mar. 2007. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. Meezan, William, and Jonathan Rauch. "Gay Marriage, Same-Sex Parenting, and America's Children." Future of Children 15.2 (2005): 97-113. Project Muse. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. Rauch, Jonathan. Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America. 1st, Rev. ed. New York: Macmillan, 2004. Google Books. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. United States. Cong. Senate. 104 Cong., 2dn sess. S H.R. 3396. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Government Printing Office/Defense of Marriage Act. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. U.S. v. Windsor. U.S. Supreme Court. 26 June 2013. Metro Weekly. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. U.S. v. Windsor. U.S. Supreme Court. 26 June 2013. Scribd. Equality Case Files, 12 Sept. 2012. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. Williams, JayChristopher. Interview by Lauren O'Rear. 20 Nov. 2013.