Supreme Court Rules on Same Sex Marriage
While there was a long wait, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote on Friday, June 26, 2015, that everyone has the right to marriage. “No longer may this liberty be denied,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority in the monumental decision. In the opinion, Justice Kennedy also wrote that “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.”
The Plaintiffs were not seeking more rights in their pursuit of the right to marriage. They were seeking equal rights. The United States Supreme Court held that the Plaintiffs were protected by the equal protection and due process clauses. In upholding this historical right for all men and women to marry, The Supreme Court resolved any doubt among the various circuits.
While people may disagree as to whom should be allowed to marry, no one can now prohibit this basic “equal dignity in the eyes of the law.” While the 4 conservative jurists wrote stinging dissent opinions, Friday marked a truly historic day.
