Same-Sex River Forest Couple has Hand in Supreme Court's DOMA Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court has officially struck down a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act banning federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

The court's ruling deemed DOMA unconstitutional as a deprivation of the equal liberty of persons, protected by the Fifth Amendment, SCOTUS blog reports.

Earlier this year, we reported that a same-sex River Forest couple that was featured in a Washington D.C. news conference to show support for the lawsuit against California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage. 

Resident Lee Neubecker's husband, David, and one of their children, Braiden, attended the conference. They've been active in the campaign for marriage equality in Illinois, but this was their first participation in a national campaign.

They joined a coalition of organizations that filed amici curiae briefs in support of the plaintiffs challenging Prop 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. Last week was the deadline to file such briefs.

READ MORE: Braiden Neubecker Tells Supreme Court 'My Two Dads Should be Able to Get Married.'

Lee's father, Mike Neubecker, signed the brief for Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).

“My wife and I are devout Christians, and marriage means so much to us that when our son Lee came out as gay we wanted to make sure that his love was recognized the same as ours,” Mike Neubecker said at the conference. “Lee and his husband David are entitled to a marriage full of life, love and family – and we want that for all couples.”