Supreme Court Legalizes Gay Marriage

[Pertho]

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Friday that it is legal for all Americans, no matter their gender or sexual orientation, to marry the people they love.

The decision is a historic victory for gay rights activists who have fought for years in the lower courts. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia already recognize marriage equality. The remaining 13 states ban these unions, even as public support has reached record levels nationwide.

The justices found that under the 14th Amendment, states must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize same-sex unions that were legally performed in other states. Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered the majority opinion and was joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan, Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor.

The lead plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges is Ohio resident Jim Obergefell, who wanted to be listed as the surviving spouse on his husband’s death certificate. In 2013, Obergefell married his partner of two decades, John Arthur, who suffered from ALS. Arthur passed away in October of that year, three months after the couple filed their lawsuit.

Obergefell was joined by several dozen other gay plaintiffs from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee who were fighting both to be able to marry and to have their marriage recognized in every state in the country.

In the majority opinion, the justices outlined several reasons marriage rights should be extended to same-sex couples. They wrote that the right to marriage is an inherent aspect of individual autonomy, since “decisions about marriage are among the most intimate that an individual can make.” They also said gay Americans have a right to “intimate association” beyond merely freedom from laws that ban homosexuality.

The majority determined that extending the right to marry protects families and “without the recognition, stability, and predictability marriage offers, children suffer the stigma of knowing their families are somehow lesser.”

The majority concluded that the right for same-sex couples to marry is protected under the 14th Amendment, citing the clauses that guarantee equal protection and due process.

The country’s views of same-sex marriage have transformed since 2004, when Massachusetts became the first state to allow gay couples to wed. In 2013, the Supreme Court began chipping away at the country’s legacy of discrimination against same-sex couples when it struck down part of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which prevented same-sex couples whose marriages were recognized by their home state from receiving the hundreds of benefits available to other married couples under federal law.

President Barack Obama became the first sitting president to support marriage equality when he came out in favor of it in 2012, the same year that the Democratic Party made it part of its platform for the first time. The Republican Party and its slate of 2016 presidential aspirants, however, remain opposed to same-sex marriage. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker ® support a constitutional amendment protecting states that want to ban marriage equality.

Some conservatives have advocated for a civil disobedience effort against a Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage. However, officials in red states told The Huffington Post recently that they are prepared to implement the decision, going so far as to ready gender-neutral marriage licenses and set later office hours. Gerard Rickhoff, who oversees marriage licenses in Bexar County, Texas, said that if same-sex couples are discriminated against elsewhere in the state, “Just get in your car and come on down the highway. You’ll be embraced here.”

Supreme Court Legalizes Gay Marriage Nationwide

[SoVi3t]

Welcome to the 21st century, America.

[Pertho]

Hopefully this means we can go discuss more important things. It isn’t that I find homosexual couples needing marriage unimportant, but that it wasn’t something that actually merited discussion. They should’ve just updated some of the clerical stuff and let those homosexual couples be on their way happily married.

So how about that TPP fastrack?

[regulate]

Interesting on the Bexar county quote. Count down until texas secedes from the union in 1…2…3…

[Joshkaz]

The south is gonna rise again.

Glad to see America is finally entering the 21st century and it only took 15 fuck years after entering it.

Next lets legalize drugs so I can stop hearing people talk about them.

[Syke1]

Welcome to the 21st century, America.

We still had regional marriages before you guys so…hold it.

Plus only 20 countries allow for it. Its not like we were crazy lagging…go yell at Asia

[SoVi3t]

The south is gonna rise again.

I’m curious to see how those backwards hicks handle all this. They went from having confederate flags, racism, and no gay marriage, to losing all that in a week.

[ThePurpleBunny]

No one in my area of Georgia taking up arms and marching with confederate flags towards Atlanta yet.

Will keep you updated.

[Dangerous_J]

Razor and daboog must be picking out their tablecloth and linen patterns RIGHT NOW

Seriously, this is great.

[Pertho]

The most hilarious thing about all this is that I have family members holding that L right now. Some months ago they posted all this anti gay marriage stuff? Where they at now?

Getting their shit wrecked like Soo Mighty rommed them.

[Joshkaz]

No one in my area of Georgia taking up arms and marching with confederate flags towards Atlanta yet.

Will keep you updated.

Where are they gonna find the flags? Maybe they are getting their own Betsy Ross to sew the new Confederate flag?

Civil War 2: The South Returns

That has a good ring to it. Excited for the future.

[Rockman_X]

The most hilarious thing about all this is that I have family members holding that L right now. Some months ago they posted all this anti gay marriage stuff? Where they at now?

Getting their shit wrecked like Soo Mighty rommed them.

Can’t wait to talk to my brother who’s a “straight pride day” advocate. I swear I must have been secretly adopted.

[Gamegeezer]

YESSSSSSS, now if we can only move on to being able to marry waifus…

[ThePurpleBunny]

Where are they gonna find the flags?

Did I not mention I live in Georgia? There are plenty of confederate flags to find. Be it in the back window of your Chevy, a refrigerator magnet, a child’s drawing, ect., those who want to flaunt one will have at least one around.

[d3v]

Scalia’s saltier than FChamp when he loses at Evo.

[Missing_Person]

Now @iantothemax and @Raz0r can finally have their happily ever after together.

[Raz0r]

Thomas really is that house dude isn’t he?

I STILL don’t know how he’s on the bench when his wife presents a clear conflict of interest to his judgement.

[Pterodactyl]

When’s polygamy?

[shinquickman]

Hopefully, this opens up the possibility of marriage being a ceremonial (and thus religious) right rather than something that the gov’t recognizes. I don’t see why the public needs to get tax breaks/penalties for agreeing to bone the same individual for the rest of their lives.

[KillaFox]

Can we get a ruling to end the war on drugs.

I just want to smoke a blunt in peace.