Apple applauds US Supreme Court decisions on same-sex marriage

Source: U.S. Supreme Court

“Apple strongly supports marriage equality and we consider it a civil rights issue," the company said in a statement to AllThingsD. "We applaud the Supreme Court for its decisions today."

The court voted 5-4 to throw out part of DOMA that prevented a number of federal benefits to same-sex couples. In another 5-4 decision, the high court also paved the way for gays and lesbians to marry once again in California, Apple's home state.

Earlier this year, Apple joined a coalition of U.S. corporations in support of same-sex marriage in an effort to sway the court. Other companies in the group included Facebook, Intel, and Morgan Stanley.

The companies banded together in response to California's passage of Proposition 8, a 2008 voter initiative that banned gay marriage. That same year, Apple donated $100,000 to the "No on 8" campaign.

Google on Wednesday also celebrated the decision by covering its search box in rainbow colors when users search terms such as "gay," "lesbian," or "bisexual." A rainbow-colored flag has been used as part of gay rights advocacy since it originated in California in the 1970s.