As Red Equals Sign On Facebook Spreads, Supreme Court Gives Same-sex Marriage Supporters Hope

By Stefan Lopez

Mar 27, 2013 04:27 PM EDT

Many people have turned to the social networking site Facebook to voice their support of the gay rights movement this week with a picture of a red equals sign to stand for marriage equality for same-sex couple. With the Supreme Court hearing landmark cases on same-sex marriage this week, they may just be in for a treat.

Though it's still far too early to call right now, early signs from the Supreme Court indicate that same-sex marriage supporters may soon have reason for celebration. The California ban on same-sex marriages known as Proposition 8 was debated among the highest court in the land, and today, the federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA is being considered.

So far, both of the cases in court do not seem to be boding well for those in favor of strictly heterosexual marriages. Though not downright outspoken on the issue, there have already been several instances wherein members of the court have hinted at being highly critical of both Prop 8 and DOMA, which was signed into law by President Clinton and recognizes only heterosexual marriages as legally binding under federal law.

So far, the Supreme Court is split between five more conservative judges and four liberal-leaning ones. Though that would not normally favor a liberal issue as same-sex marriage, there seems to be reason to believe that Prop 8 and DOMA may both get struck down by the panel of nine Supreme Court Justices.

In regards to Proposition 8, the usually liberal Justice Anthony Kennedy had this to say about the children of same-sex couples yesterday:

"They want their parents to have full recognition and legal status," Kennedy told Charles J. Cooper, who represents proponents of Prop 8's ban on gay marriage. "The voice of those children is considerable in this case, don't you think?"

Today, Justice Kennedy also warned about the potential risks posed by DOMA. He claimed that such an act infringes on the traditional rights of states to define what constitutes marriage. If Kennedy is leaning towards siding with his liberal colleagues, than both Prop 8 and DOMA are at risk of losing in the Supreme Court. If that should happen, chances are high that you will be seeing a lot more of those red equals signs popping up on your Facebook in the near future.