Great interest in Supreme Court marriage equality cases

By Richard K. Barry

Huffington Post is reporting that lines have already begun to form at the Supreme Court for those who want to attend next week's arguments in two gay marriage cases. 

The justices will hear arguments Tuesday on California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage and on Wednesday on the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. 

Apparently, it's not unusual for lines to form for free tickets to high-profile arguments, but five days in advance, which is what is happening here, is particularly early.  

The Proposition 8 case is Hollingsworth v. Perry and, according to SCOTUS.blog, this is what is to be decided:

Whether the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the State of California from defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman; and (2) whether petitioners have standing under Article III, § 2 of the Constitution in this case.  

The Defense of Marriage Act case is United States v. Windsor: At issue is:

Whether Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection of the laws as applied to persons of the same sex who are legally married under the laws of their State; (2) whether the Executive Branch’s agreement with the court below that DOMA is unconstitutional deprives this Court of jurisdiction to decide this case; and (3) whether the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the United States House of Representatives has Article III standing in this case.

I don't wait in line for anything anymore but, if I did, these would be good tickets.