A divided Supreme Court on Friday ruled that same-sex couples
can marry nationwide, establishing a new civil right and handing gay rights to
advocates a historic victory.
In the 5-4 ruling, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the
majority with the four liberal justices. Each of the four conservative justices
wrote their own dissent.
Nearly 46 years to the day after a riot at New York's Stonewall
Inn ushered in the modern gay rights movement, the decision could settle one of
the major civil rights fights of this era. The language of Kennedy's opinion
spoke eloquently of the most fundamental values of family, love and liberty.
"No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies
the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family,"
Kennedy wrote. "In forming a marital union, two people become something
greater than they once were." Their hope," Kennedy wrote,
"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."
After the ruling,
President Barack Obama called Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the case,
while he and his supporters celebrated the ruling outside the court.
"I just wanted
to say congratulations," Obama said as CNN broadcast his warm words to
Obergefell over speakerphone. He added: "Your leadership on this has
changed the country."
Obama said
"Americans should be very proud," because small acts of courage
"slowly made an entire country realize that love is love."
Has laoreet percipitur ad. Vide interesset in mei, no his legimus verterem. Et nostrum imperdiet appellantur usu, mnesarchum referrentur id vim.
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