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Published 9 years ago
Same-sex marriage is now legal nationwide.
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional Friday morning.
The ruling was made in a 5-4 decision, with Justice Anthony Kennedy writing the majority opinion.
“In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right,” Kennedy wrote.
President Barack Obama celebrated the Court’s decision, writing on Twitter:
Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins
— President Obama (@POTUS) June 26, 2015
One giant step in the right direction. #LoveWins
To read the Supreme Court’s complete opinion on same-sex marriage, head here.