Mitch Perry
“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family … [Challengers] ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.” — Supreme Court of the United States.
Legal same-sex marriages must be recognized throughout the United States, according to a ruling by the Supreme Court on Friday morning.
In a major victory for the LGBT community, the court ruled on whether states can prohibit same-sex marriage, as 13 states currently do. In a 5-4 decision, Justices found that 14th Amendment requires a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex, making such marriages constitutional, and that all states must recognize marriages performed in other states.
The court also declares state marriage bans unconstitutional.
As reported by SCOTUS Blog, page 22 of the ruling says:
“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.”
According to the ruling summary, the court based its view of same-sex marriage as a fundamental right on four “principles and traditions”:
- Right to a person’s choice in marriage is “inherent in the concept of individual autonomy”;
- “Two-person union unlike any other in its importance to the committed individuals”;
- Marriage safeguards children and families; and
- Marriage is a keystone to our social order.
Developing …
