Refresh here throughout the day for color from inside and outside the Supreme Court as justices hear arguments on gay marriage.
All times are E.T.
Today is the second day of arguments at the Supreme Court over gay marriage. The justices will consider the second separate case.
Yesterday, the Justices considered whether the California gay marriage ban enacted by Proposition 8 is constitutional.
Read what went on both inside and outside the courtroom from yesterday's live updates here.
Today, lawmakers will hear arguments about the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed with broad bipartisan support in 1996 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. DOMA defines marriage as between one man and a woman and denies federal benefits to same-sex couples who are legally married in their states.
But as states begin to OK gay marriage - nine currently allow it - same-sex married couples will expect the same federal benefits that straight couples get.
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10:45 a.m. - New Jersey Politicians for Gay Marriage
Sen. Frank Lautenberg changed his avatar on Twitter to show support for same-sex marriage.
All legal marriages deserve federal recognition & the benefits that come with it. #DOMA must go! #SCOTUS #UnitedforMarriage
? Frank R. Lautenberg (@FrankLautenberg) March 27, 2013
Newark Mayor Cory Booker also changed his avatar and tweeted back at followers who had condemned his decision.
"God's law" has been used 2 subjugate women, blacks & even justify slavery. RT @ yung_boss Is the law of the land more sacred over God's law?
? Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 27, 2013
New Jersey is not one of the nine states where gay marriage is legal. In February of 2012 Republican Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have legalized it.
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10:39 a.m. - Pro-Gay Rights Crowd Trumps Marriage Equality Protesters
ABC's Matthew Larotonda reports from outside the Supreme Court:
The plaza in front of the Court is nearly as packed as it was yesterday, albeit at lower density. Overflow is starting to form across the street in front of the Capitol. Once again gay rights demonstrators dwarf their opposition. A handful of traditional marriage conservatives can be found among the crowd, which numbers at least a thousand.
Marcos Dominguez-German is one of those in the majority and was one of the first demonstrators to appear early in the morning.
Dominguez-German became a U.S. citizen after seeking asylum for "persecution" of his homosexuality in his native Brazil. He is legally married in Massachusetts.
"If I didn't have that asylum and just married my husband I wouldn't be able to stay here," he said. "I wouldn't be able to stay here because the federal government doesn't recognize same sex marriages."
Clutching his two small dogs and a gay pride flag, he said the government's failure to recognize all gay married couples amounted to "taxation without representation."
There is yet a third faction here, separated by a noticeable air gap: About a half dozen members of the Westboro Baptist Church.
"America is doomed" says one of their signs, and "God hates fags."
But not far off from their corner is another man holding a tote bag with a peculiar text emblazoned on the side: "God hates bags," it reads.
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9:41 a.m. - Rob Reiner: Meathead could help get Archie Bunker to back gay marriage
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9:14 a.m. - Inside the Supreme Court Today
ABC's Ariane de Vogue reports:
There will be opinions released at 10 a.m. and arguments will follow soon after. Arguments will be one hour and 50 minutes. Transcripts and audio will be released around noon.
At issue: Does a federal law that denies benefits to same sex couples who are legally married in their state violate the Constitution? When 83-year-old Edie Windsor's wife died, Windsor sought a refund of federal estate taxes that is available to married couples. She was denied under DOMA which defines marriage as between one man and one woman.
The fact that the case reached the Supreme Court reflects years of strategy on behalf of major gay rights groups. Initially, they didn't support the Prop 8 challenge because they felt the Justices might be more receptive to the DOMA case. It allows the Court to take a more gradual step on a divisive issue.
Read more on the Defense of Marriage Act here.
Jurisdictional issues up first Vicki C. Jackson, Court appointed lawyer - 20 minutes Deputy Solicitor General Sri Srinivasan - 15 minutes Paul D. Clement - 15 minutes Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group - 15 minutes
Merits: Paul D. Clement, BLAG - 30 minutes Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli, Jr - 15 minutes Roberta A. Kaplan for Edie Windsor - 15 minutes
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9:00 a.m. - Westboro Baptist Church Protests Hearing
ABC's Matthew Larotonda and John Parkinson report the Westboro Baptist Church has more protesters out at today's hearing than they did yesterday.
Yesterday pro-marriage equality protesters countered the Church's group with their own signs and music, dancing right alongside the Westboro picketers.
Today they incorporated the group into their signs.
Love this guy's sign! Take that, Westboro Baptist Church! twitter.com/chrisjohnson82?
? Chris Johnson (@chrisjohnson82) March 27, 2013
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8:13 a.m. - Brands Come Out for Marriage Equality
Individual Facebook users weren't the only ones posting the red equal-sign to show their support for same-sex marriage. Yesterday Bud Light posted a photo on their Facebook feed, forming the equal-sign on a red background with two cans of their beer.
ABC's Jilian Fama will report throughout the day about what other brands are picking sides in these court cases. If you see some to include, tweet them to @ABCPolitics.
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7:15 a.m. - What's That Red Equal-Sign on Facebook All About?
ABC's Dan Milano reports:
They're popping up on Facebook news feeds around the nation, but without much explanation. Just what are those red equal-sign Facebook profile pictures all about? Look no further than the Human Rights Campaign, an organization in support of gay marriage that is running a particularly successful social media initiative as the Supreme Court discusses the issue over the next two days.
In a Facebook post yesterday, the HRC asked gay marriage supporters to "paint the town red," wearing red in their wardrobe as well on their Facebook pages, changing profile photos over to the HRC "=" logo. The idea has even caught the eyes of Congress, with 13 members showcasing the symbol, according to Ryan Beckwith.
Read more from Milano here.
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7:11 a.m. - Meet the People with the Most at Stake
The Supreme Court hears oral arguments in two landmark cases concerning gay marriage this week. Justices will consider the legal merit and standing of challenges to California's Proposition 8 law banning gay marriage and to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that defines marriage as being between one man and one woman.
With lawyers and justices taking the stage now, it's easy to forget that everyday people have a stake in this fight.
Read the stories of some of the people who hope the court will decide in their favor here.
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7:01 a.m. - DOMA: Explained
ABC's Chris Good and Ariane de Vogue explain what today's case is all about:
Since 1996, the federal government has defined marriage as between a man and a woman.
That could change if proponents of gay marriage succeed before the Supreme Court.
For the second straight day, the nation's highest court will hear arguments in a high-profile case on gay marriage, one of the hottest social issues in America.
Today, they will hear arguments in a challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law signed by President Bill Clinton that defined marriage as heterosexual and denied federal benefits to gay couples, who are legally married in their state.
Between the two cases, the Supreme Court could issue a landmark ruling on gay marriage by the end of June.
The DOMA challenge was brought by Edie Windsor, an 83-year-old woman from New York who married Thea Clara Spyer in 2007. After Spyer's death in 2009, Windsor was denied an exemption of federal estate taxes.
Read more on DOMA from Good and de Vogue here.
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