What has been fought for and discussed for years and years has finally become reality. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage legal in the United States.
Today, Friday June 26, 2015 marks another milestone in the history of the United States. For decades and decades, millions of Americans have been discriminated, hurt, deprived of rights, and excluded because of whom they love. Today marks a change in that. The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, voted that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.
This decision and equal rights for everyone were long overdue, and the Supreme Court finally acknowledged the strong public opinion to allow same-sex marriage nationwide. Justice Anthony Kennedy and the four more liberal justices were able to out-power the conservative wing of the Supreme Court. Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote for the majority, found clear words for today’s decisions:
“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. 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.” (Justice Anthony Kennedy, June 26, 2015)
It has been nearly 46 years since the Stonewall Inn riots started the modern gay rights movement, and today’s decision will hopefully bring an end to endless discussions, discrimination, ignorance, and hatred towards people of our society. Nobody should be excluded, attacked, punished, or discriminated for whom they love, and everybody should have the right to marry whomever they want to marry. Today’s ruling will allow exactly that. To let everyone in our society marry the person they love.
The @WhiteHouse is rainbow-colored tonight in celebration of SCOTUS same-sex marriage ruling. http://t.co/UgS4Cy2yVo pic.twitter.com/WssFoZwQPR
— CNN Wire (@CNNWire) June 27, 2015
“If you are among the many Americans — of whatever sexual orientation — who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today’s decision. Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal. Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it.” (Chief Justice Roberts, June 26, 2015)
The Supreme Court’s decision received huge appreciation and celebration among politics, community leaders, and the public. With social media campaigns like #LoveWins and #MarriageEquality, millions of Americans showed their support for the ruling. All over social media, news outlets, stars, and people changed their profile picture to include the rainbow color to demonstrate their support for the decision.
President Obama did not hold back his joy regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling of allowing same-sex marriage, stating that “Today we can say … that we’ve made our union a little more perfect.”
In Alabama, one county exits the marriage business http://t.co/y86tbtEHn8 pic.twitter.com/KsuA78BQpi
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 27, 2015
In D.C. and in other cities, people took to the streets showing their support, waving rainbow flags and showing banners with the Human Rights Campaign’s equal sign.
And while conservative religious leaders and politicians fight today’s decision, the United States Supreme Court showed something very important today: The courage to embrace change, the courage to promote change, and the courage to listen to the public and MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN.
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