The Goodridges have been a couple for 16 years. They also have a seven-year-old daughter. Yet, as a lesbian couple, a whole range of social and tax benefits-as well as the legal protection available to most families-are denied to them. So, a year and a half ago, Julie and Hillary Goo-dridge applied for a marriage licence. When it was denied, they turned to the courts. The decision from the Massachusetts Supreme Court, expected any day, has pushed homosexual marriage into the minds of Americans, on to the front pages of their newspapers and-no doubt-into next year's presidential election. Other court decisions have already had an even broader impact. On June 26th, the United States Supreme Court struck down a Texas law criminalising gay sex, sealing the fate of similar laws in 12 other states. In the same month, Ontario's highest court decided that homosexuals could get married in that province, a decision that could soon be extended to the rest of Canada. This provided steam for American homosexuals to demand the same rights as their heterosexual compatriots, including those attached to marriage.
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