In a 5-4 decision, the court found that bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional — just in time for Pride Day!
Justice Kennedy wrote the majority report:
From their beginning to their most recent page, the annals of human history reveal the transcendent importance of marriage. The lifelong union of a man and a woman always has promised nobility and dignity to all persons, without regard to their station in life. Marriage is sacred to those who live by their religions and offers unique fulfillment to those who find meaning in the secular realm. Its dynamic allows two people to find a life that could not be found alone, for a marriage becomes greater than just the two persons. Rising from the most basic human needs, marriage is essential to our most profound hopes and aspirations…
…It is now clear that the challenged laws burden the liberty of same-sex couples, and it must be further acknowledged that they abridge central precepts of equality … Especially against a long history of disapproval of their relationships, this denial to same-sex couples of the right to marry works a grave and continuing harm. The imposition of this disability on gays and lesbians serves to disrespect and subordinate them. And the Equal Protection Clause, like the Due Process Clause, prohibits this unjustified infringement of the fundamental right to marry.”
Supreme court: gay marriage legal across the US – live updates [The Guardian]
OBERGEFELL
ET AL.
v
. HODGES, DIRECTOR, OHIO
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,
ET AL. [Supreme Court/PDF]
(Thanks, Corynne!)
(Image: John.Stuart3.SupremeCourt.WDC.28April2015,
Elvert Barnes, CC-BY-SA)
