The legalization of gay marriage is a very popular issue in the United States. The popularity of this issue alone makes its outcome very important to the American people. The debate is multifaceted. Should same-sex marriage be legal? Should gay couples be allowed to adopt children? Is it constitutional to deny federal rights to same-sex couples? Then there are the media, which express their opinions and attempt to influence those of the public. However, even though same-sex marriage is, in most cases, presented positively by the media, it nevertheless remains a major source of debate. Legalizing same-sex marriage could have a positive effect on the American public in several ways. The most recent development in this area is the Supreme Court's decision in US v. Windsor. It was ruled on June 26, 2013 that Section 3 of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, was unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment. This directly violates the clause stating that all U.S. citizens shall have equal protection under the law (Metro). Article 3 of DOMA states that “marriage” will be defined as the union between a man and a woman. DOMA also states that "spouse" will be defined as a person of the opposite sex to whom one is married (United States Cong.). When asked, JayChristopher Williams, 21 at the time DOMA was passed, said he felt "it was, for me as a young gay man, once it was passed, a codified sign that the government thought I was a second-class citizen.” The law came as a shock to him, coming from an upper-class southern family in Mobile, Alabama. He had always thought he was as good as anyone else. Later in the interview, he said the law had pushed him to abandon the institution of marriage. Since I...... middle of paper...... United States. " Williams Institute. Np, March 2007. Web. November 19, 2013. Meezan, William and Jonathan Rauch. " Gay Marriage, Even - Sexual Parenting and American Children. " Future of Children 15.2 (2005): 97-113. Project Muse.Web. November 19, 2013. Rauch, Jonathan. Gay Marriage: Why It's Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America. 1st, Rev ed. New York: Macmillan, 2004. Google Books.Web. November 19, 2013. United States Senate, 104th Session, S HR 3396. Np: np, nd Government Printing/Defense of Marriage Act, 30. October 2013. United States v. United States Supreme Court, June 26, 2013. Metro Weekly, nd Web, October 29, 2013. June 2013. Scribd. Equality Case Files, September 12, 2012. Web, October 29, 2013. Williams, JayChristopher, Interview with Lauren O'Rear, November 20.. 2013.