CHAPEL HILL – The United States Supreme Court ruled that a provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, which recognized marriage at the federal level as only between a man and a woman, is unconstitutional.

The court also decided not to take up California’s Proposition 8 ballot initiative, which banned gay marriage in the state after it was already legal. Its decision not to take up Prop 8 means that the previous ruling in the state, which ruled the initiative unconstitutional, is upheld.

As the decisions were read to the public, speculation began about how the ruling would affect gay and lesbian individuals in North Carolina, including many prominent local figures.

WCHL’s Afternoon and Evening Host, Aaron Keck, spoke with Chapel Hill’s Mayor, Mark Kleinschmidt Wednesday about the SCOTUS’ historic rulings.

***Listen to the Interview***