U.S. Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage
The U.S. Supreme Court made a historic decision when it ruled 5-4 in favor of nationwide same-sex marriage. According to the ruling, the majority opinion of the nine justices is that to deny same-sex couples the right to marry is a violation of the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the 14th Amendment.
Fourteen states are directly affected by this ruling, as previous state-bans against granting and recognizing same-sex marriages have been overturned. However, activists of the gay rights movement across the nation consider this a victory for their cause. President Barack Obama called the decision "justice that arrives like a thunderbolt."
The case of Obergefell vs. Hodges originally began in district courts of Ohio. Jim Obergefell and his spouse, John Arthur, travelled to Maryland on a medical plane to seek a marriage license, returning home to Ohio immediately. Upon Arthur's death months later, the State refused to acknowledge his marital status to Obergefell. The case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court, where marriage bans across the nation were challenged.
The fourteen states that are affected by this ruling include:
- Ohio
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Texas
- Louisiana
- Kentucky
- Nebraska
- Georgia
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Tennessee
- Most of Missouri