The Supreme Court is meeting Tuesday and Wednesday to hear arguments about marriage equality for same sex couples. The Supreme Court is considering two cases in the marriage equality hearings.

The first case is the challenge to Proposition 8 (Prop 8 for short) and the second is the challenge to section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Proposition 8 is a law in California that defines marriage as valid only if it is between a man and a woman. Prop 8 was voted into law in November 2008 with 52% of the voters for and 48% against.

The law ended same sex marriage in the state, but did not invalidate marriage licenses issued before November 2008. The Supreme Court will have to decide if denying marriage equality to same sex couples is unconstitutional.

President Clinton signed the Defense Of Marriage Act into law in 1996. It also defines marriage as legal only between a man and a woman. The law says that same sex couples are not entitled to their partners federal benefits.

For example, a widow would be entitled to the pension her husband was receiving from his employer after retirement upon his death. A same sex couple under the same set of circumstances would not be entitled to a deceased partners pension despite the length of time spent together.

Again, the Supreme court will have to make the decision whether or not DOMA is unconstitutional in denying marriage equality for all. According to CNN, more Americans support marriage equality now then they did in 2007.

In 2007, 40% of the people polled supported marriage equality for same sex couples. In 2013, the number has risen to 53% in support.

Those challenging Prop 8 and DOMA are calling for the Supreme Court to put a stop to marriage discrimination and allow same sex couple the same rights as heterosexual couples.

The Supreme Court can make a decision anytime between now and June.

Paul Kawata is the executive director of the National Minority AIDS Council. Kawata wrote a blog for the Huffington Post supporting marriage equality and making the argument that marriage equality for the LGBT community is "good for public health."

Kawata says in his blog, "Marriage is unequivocally a health issue. A study published in the "The American Journal of Public Health" found that gay men in Massachusetts were in better physical and mental health after that state became the first to recognize same-sex marriage in 2003."

Kawata goes on to say, "Notably, researchers concluded that both partnered and single gay men in Massachusetts experienced health benefits to the tune of a 13 percent reduction in clinic visits for medical problems in the 12 months after the marriage law passed. Another report published in the American Journal of Public Health held that legally married gay men are less likely to be depressed, a key factor influencing HIV vulnerability."

Currently, there are 9 states and the District of Columbia that allow same sex couples to marry. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maryland, Maine and Washington State all allow gay marriage.