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An anxious scene at the Supreme Court before Prop. 8, DOMA rulings

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WASHINGTON -- Advocates for and against gay marriage waited anxiously outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday morning for potentially historic decisions.

Pro-gay-marriage activists sang Unitarian church songs and “God Bless America.” Signs reading “#gay,” “it’s about taxation not representation,” and “It’s about time” dotted the steps of the Supreme Court, with supporters of same-sex marriage seeming to outnumber opponents.

But one supporter of traditional marriage said he believes that “taxpayers don’t have to pay for the benefits of people with sexual preferences.”

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“I don’t think this decision would change anything in reality,” said Larry Cirignano of New Jersey, who said his stance comes from religious and political beliefs. “We will continue to have this conversation over a long time. Thirty-eight states still say same-sex marriage is not legal.”

Bryan Leon said he arrived to get in line for the court session around 5 in the morning. He married his husband Jeremy in Washington in 2010.

Full coverage: Prop. 8 and DOMA

“We’re federal employees, so this decision can really make a difference for us,” said Leon, who works at the Office of Management and Budget. He was speaking of the Defense Of Marriage Act, which blocks legally married gays from receiving federal benefits.

David Baker, originally from Salt Lake City, described himself as a gay Mormon, and said he has previously worked with Scouts for Equality and on LGBT issues in his church.

“If I can’t marry my boyfriend, I’ll marry your daughter!” Baker read from the cardboard poster he held up. “If I’m going to continue to be treated as a second-class citizen, I might as well. ... It’s amazing that in the hands of nine people stands the balance of my rights.”

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ALSO:

GRAPHIC: Gay marriage in the U.S.

PHOTOS: Supreme Court rules on Prop. 8 and DOMA

DOCUMENTS: Supreme Court decisions on DOMA, Prop. 8


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marina.villeneuve@latimes.com

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