Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg Officiates Wedding of Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser and John Roberts | Playbill

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News Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg Officiates Wedding of Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser and John Roberts Ruth Bader Ginsberg will be the first member of the Supreme Court to officiate a same-sex wedding. On Aug. 31, Ginsberg will marry Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser and economist John Roberts during an evening ceremony in the Kennedy Center atrium, according to the Washington Post.

It has been common for Supreme Court Justices to officiate weddings in the past, but Kaiser and Roberts' wedding is the first same-sex marriage to be performed by a member of the court.

The Washington Post reports that Ginsberg, an avid arts supporter, and Kaiser are close friends. Among the invited guests are Ron Raines and Barbara Cook, as well as Renee Fleming and Harolyn Blackwell.

"I think it will be one more statement that people who love each other and want to live together should be able to enjoy the blessings and the strife in the marriage relationship," Ginsberg said.

The 80-year-old Ginsburg, now in her 20th year on the court, was a supporter of the court's landmark decisions earlier this summer, which struck down a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act, allowing same-sex couples the same federal rights as heterosexual couples, as well as leaving in place a lower court's ruling that Proposition 8, a California ban on gay marriage, was unconstitutional and unfairly discriminated against gay couples.

As a result of those rulings, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service announced Aug. 29 that the marriages of gay couples across the U.S. would be recognized by the federal government, regardless of whether they lived in Washington, DC, or one of the 13 states that currently allows same-sex marriage. "Today's ruling provides certainty and clear, coherent tax filing guidance for all legally married same-sex couples nationwide. It provides access to benefits, responsibilities and protections under federal tax law that all Americans deserve," said Secretary Jacob J. Lew in a statement. "This ruling also assures legally married same-sex couples that they can move freely throughout the country knowing that their federal filing status will not change."

 
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