The ruling extends a legal status for same-sex couples that was previously only granted to male/female couples. Same-sex married couples can now be considered a single "entity" by the IRS for purposes of tax deductions; a same-sex spouse can now be considered a "dependent" for purposes of health care coverage offered by the employer of the working spouse; and the ruling should clear up any objections regarding who is the rightful beneficiary of the estate in the event of death of one of the spouses, etc. All good things in the eyes of equality. The fact that it compels all fifty states to recognize a same-sex marriage as "legitimate" is the foundation of this legal status.

For those who argue that this is a slippery slope leading to marriage being defined so liberally that a human could marry a toaster, for example -- consider how impossible it would be to extend the benefits of a recognized legal status to an inanimate object.