Top US judge to preside over gay wedding

WASHINGTON - US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is to officiate at a wedding ceremony between two men this weekend, just two months after the court issued high-profile rulings on the highly divisive issue.

A court spokesman said on Friday that Ginsburg would be officiating at the ceremony on Saturday at the Kennedy Center. Ginsburg is the first justice to preside over a wedding ceremony involving a same-sex couple.

As reported by the Washington Post, Ginsburg will preside over the wedding of Michael Kaiser, the president of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, and John Roberts, an economist.

In June, the court struck down a federal law that denied federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples and paved the way for gay marriage in California by letting stand a ruling that struck down a state law that restricted marriage to opposite-sex couples.

Gay marriage is legal in Washington, DC, and 13 US states.

In an interview with Reuters in July, Ginsburg said she was pleased with the court's decisions on the issue. Of the increasing public acceptance of gay marriage, she said, "I think the country is doing remarkably well. I don't think anyone could have predicted this."

Special: Same-sex marriage gaining attention