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The country is evolving quickly. Public opinion has turned. Now everyone needs to get on board or be steamrolled by history.

In a unanimous ruling, a U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that a key component of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. This is the first time that DOMA was found to be unconstitutional by a Federal Appeals Court.

After President Obama announced his personal support for legalizing gay marriage earlier this month, much of the attention has focused on how this has moved the opinions of minorities his way. A poll this week shows Republican support for gay marriage has also moved since, but it has gone the other way.   

Many politicians, from Mayor Bloomberg to President Obama, want to have it both ways on civil liberties: Loosening restrictions on same-sex marriage, while pushing the limits of constitutionality on crime and terrorism.

The president’s marriage equality stance seems to have energized immigration activists, especially young Latino voters who have built an alliance with gay activists on pushing for immigration reform.

Republicans have chosen a man whose behavior, demeanor and record makes us believe he could be the bully his old friends described.

President Obama's supporters in New York's gay community are already registering their appreciation for his new stance on gay marriage. Campaign officials are telling supporters privately they've already noticed an uptick in giving and offers to host new fundraising events.

While we political junkies forget this, there are still many Americans who respect elected leaders and who will be moved by this announcement to evolve as well. There are people around the country for whom the "about time" quality of this shift will be a source of relief, affirmation and hope.

President Obama’s public declaration of his support for same-sex marriage in an interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts yesterday, could have a polarizing effect this campaign season, invigorating some voters and potentially alienating others. Gay campaign political activists and campaign donors are among those with a strong reaction to the news. The Takeaway spoke to one top Obama bundler, Dana Perelman, who said he was "exhilarated" by the President’s announcement. From the other end of the gay community came a slightly different reaction. R. Clarke Cooper, Executive Director of Log Cabin Republicans called the timing of the president's announcement "callous."

President Barack Obama has changed his position and now unequivocally supports the legalization of same-sex marriage. 

On Tuesday voters in North Carolina voted in huge numbers to ban same-sex marriage. And yet, 60 percent don't fully understand what the legislation they voted on actually does.

Thousands of gay and lesbian couples have wed since New York made same-sex marriage legal last summer. But for these newlyweds, the not-so-fun part has now come: filing taxes just became a lot more arduous.

Stephen Sweeney, New Jersey Senate President, discusses Monday's vote on the same sex marriage bill in the senate.

Despite a veto threat from Governor Chris Christie, New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney says the legislature is poised to pass a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the Garden State.

Recap from It's a Free Country.

Welcome to Politics Bites, where every afternoon at It's A Free Country, we bring you the unmissable quotes from the morning's political conversations on WNYC. Today on the Brian Lehrer Show, Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor at Slate, discussed the court ruling on the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 and what might happen next.

California's Proposition 8, a law banning same-sex marriage in the state, has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals panel. Meanwhile, a bill to allow same-sex marriage in Washington state has passed the State Senate and is on its way to the House.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker told WNYC that he “patently disagrees” with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s call for a voter referendum this November on whether to legalize gay marriage in the state.

Kevin Keller, the first gay character in the history of the Archie comics, was introduced to Riverdale and the world in April of last year. Kevin quickly became one of the most popular characters in the comic's 72-year history, starring in his own miniseries over the summer. And now he's getting married. The January issue of Life of Archie will feature the marriage between Kevin and Clay Walker, a doctor he meets while recovering in a military hospital’s physical rehabilitation unit.

Opponents of New York's same-sex marriage law say they're "grateful" that a state Supreme Court judge in the Finger Lakes region of the state has allowed their challenge to the law to go forward. 

It's a bit of a sleeper election this November, with just two states electing governors, but there are a number of major political victories up for grabs lower down on the ballot. In Ohio and Mississippi in particular, voters will weigh in directly on issues that could frame debate — and decisively shape turnout — for the presidential elections come 2012.