The Supreme Court hearing for Proposition 8 is over, but that just leaves months of waiting for the decision.

The ruling of Hollingsworth v. Perry or, as it is better known, the ban on Proposition 8 is expected by July. Proposition 8 was an amendment to California’s state constitution stating that, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

Even though this ruling will only initially affect California, it has a possibility of effecting the entire nation, including Iowa.

As of now, Iowa’s law on marriage is equal for both straight and gay citizens.

Tim Nelson, a sophomore in political science, said, “Iowa was one of the first states to legalize gay marriage, so if the Prop 8. gets struck down and gay marriage is legal everywhere it will put our state on the map as being on the right side of history before a lot of the country was, and if DOMA gets overturned as well all of the gay married couples in this state will be able to enjoy the Federal Benefits they deserve.”

The ruling of Proposition 8 and DOMA, or the Defense of Marriage Act, is unknown and unpredictable. Even though they are similar cases, that does not mean they will be ruled in the same favor.

“Personally, I think DOMA is going to get overturned no matter what, so when it comes to Prop 8 it becomes a question of which justices are going to attempt to side on ‘States Rights’,” Miller said.

“I think the court was hesitant to take the case in the first place, and they do not want to make such a massive decision too soon. Unfortunately, I think they are going to rule Prop 8 constitutional and claim that Gay Marriage is not a federal issue but a states issue.”

Other students on campus have other ideas about the outcome of Proposition 8.

Alexander Young, a freshman in Event Management, said, “In regards to Proposition 8, I believe it is destined to eventually fade out. I would like it to be repealed as soon as possible. I think now that it has gone to the supreme court the justices will find it unconstitutional at least in part.”

When it comes to the outcome of issues like Proposition 8, many members of the LGBTQA community just hope for equality in the U.S. as a whole.

“First and foremost, I am for equality and Proposition 8, in my view, stands in the way of equality. As a bisexual man myself I want all states to treat individuals and couples the same irrespective of their sexual orientation,” said Young.