Supreme Court says yes to gay marriage
By Adam Liptak, New York Times
WASHINGTON — In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Constitution guarantees a nationwide right to same-sex marriage.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in the 5 to 4 decision. He was joined by the court’s four more liberal justices.
The decision, the culmination of decades of litigation and activism, came against the backdrop of fast-moving changes in public opinion, with polls indicating that most Americans now approve of same-sex marriage.
As in earlier civil rights cases, the Supreme Court had moved cautiously and methodically, laying careful judicial groundwork for a transformative decision.
At 74 I’ve had gay and lesbian friends and acquaintances all my life, although I was well into my 20s before I began to realize it.
They have all my thoughts and best wishes this morning; as much disdain as I have for our current Supreme Court, collectively and individually, with some exceptions, they have made a pair of decisions in the last few days that have restored at least some of my faith in my Country, and set back the noisy anti-American screwballs for, oh say, at least a couple of minutes. Or maybe even just the time it take for someone else to post.
Congratulations and best wishes, my friends!
Congratulations and many best wishes to my friends! It’s a great decision that the Supreme Court has made to make marriage equality a reality! There is still a long way to go in the fight for total acceptance by the closed minded in this country!
Just because someone does not agree with gay marriage does not make them ‘close minded’. I am not a religious person, but ignoring the institution of marriage as defined by a religion or church is ‘close minded’. Let me ask you this, in many many countries they eat DOG. Are you ‘open minded’ about that? Didn’t think so.
And I am fine with gay marriage by the way. Congrats to all this law helps.
Tahoebluewire: The ruling preserves the right of those churches and synagogues that choose not to preform gay marriages to continue to do so, but it allows those numerous churches and synagogues that are not challenged by the LGBT community to preform legal marriage ceremonies now in all 50 states.
Rick
Wouldn’t it have been cool if it had been unanimous? Even still, I’m happy! Equality for all! Love is love!
Right now I’m proud to be an American!
Its been a good morning with the news, especially following yesterdays good news. Love and access to health care are important to most everyone.
“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 more than they once were. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is to not 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.— Sup. Ct. Judge Anthony Kennedy
I’ve known gay people all my life and and am glad to hear they are going to be treated equaliy by the law recently passed.
Now lets work on racisim, womens rights to equal pay and cutting the budget for the military which is WAY too high. OLS
It was a great day for Americans and Equal Rights! Now, if we could figure out how to get rid of the deadwood on the Supreme Court – make them documentary movie stars of The Dark Ages! Maybe we could creat a new place called Mt. Crushmore for images of stagnant, deadwood Justices who impede equal rights.
it’s like abortion it’s legal but it’s not right.
maybe today at the Dead show they will play this song Hell in a Bucket that always made the crowd go into a frenzy.
Chief Slow-who told you what’s right and wrong, your invisible friend and his fairy tale book?-
I agree with the hero of your book though- what he had to say about gay marriage = what his followers should have to say about it = 0
I’m feeling very jubilant and grateful to be an American today. Well done, SCOTUS, well done!
Nature, had it been unanimous, we all would have had to get out the winter clothing….because Hell would have frozen over!
Great now we can get rid of the domestic partnership law. Require that all domestic partners get married now. This law discriminates against younger non gay couples.
“Nature, had it been unanimous, we all would have had to get out the winter clothing….because Hell would have frozen over!”
Interesting comment. Does that mean you believe you are in Hell?
Instead of judging, maybe some of the haters should talk to someone who is gay. Most people don’t choose to be something that will cause them to be judged and ridiculed their whole life. EVERYONE deserves to love and be loved. They also deserve the right to be married and receive the benefits of such. The majority of the gay couples I know, have better and more faithful relationships that the straight folks I know.
Seriously, you are so right. All the gay friends I have that are in long term relationships are very stable and successful. Im just so glad they will have equality and hopefully security in their lives now.
Lisa, I would have gladly gotten my winter woolies out and danced in the frozen “hell” to have seen a unanimous vote but 5 was the majic number this time. I am also enjoying seeing Scalia have his tantrums and bo hoo for him and his ilk.
He is acting like a 3 year old. Makes for some fun comedy…
Chief. Abortion is about control over Women. This ruling is about expanding equality for Americans and hopefully the Planet.
A new growth market for divorce lawyers!
The 2% of people who are Gay are now granted rights against the laws of many states, and rights not voted for, in a majority of states. The majority of states and their voters who oppose gay marriage have had their rights to vote eliminated. The next case to weigh in on this will be the right of religious freedom versus gay rights. This is not the way the law was supposed to work as far as the states go and will do nothing but cause further turmoil. It does give the presumed first closet gay candidate, Hillary, a base of new supporters on a false premise by non-elected people on the court who are the liberal agenda and vote whichever way they are told.
So Justice, would you argue that 2% of Americans shouldn’t have the same rights as 98% of Americans because you find it inconvenient?
So now hillary is gay? Where do these idiots come up with these ideas, oh ya, this is their life as blog trolls, trying to make their lives more interesting. Not working from my perspective. Boo hoo hoo to you!!!!!! Remember, im totally behind giving you texas to have as your very own compound so you can build your big fence, keep out the gays, blacks, hispanics, hippies, progressive women, non christians, gun haters, and then when your toilets need cleaning you can get the guy with the smallest gun to do it. UTOPIA!!!
Just@ss. Read the following…
Fourteenth Amendment. Ratified in 1868.
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
This nullified the Dred Scott v Sanford decision of 1857 that led to Civil War.
Famous cases: Bush v Gore and Brown v Board of Education
It is interesting that the 14th Amendment requires an equal application of the laws. The states forbid marriages that were not between a man and woman as an amendment to their state’s Constitution, therefore there is no standing to claim the unequal application of a law. This is a matter for the state’s not political operatives wearing black robes. The court must be seen simply as an unelected political entity claiming rights they were never elected to have. The system now with the current political climate is flawed. People voting in their own state’s should be the law of the land in respect to civil issues of licensing like marriages.
If anyone wants to know what the conservative/fundagelicals actually think about this long overdue justice for our LBGT brothers and sisters, go here:
http://www.rightwingwatch.org
Just@ass. How ridiculous. People voting in their own States cannot simply vote for a return of Slavery, Child Prostitution or to ban African Americans the right to vote either.
In 1967 the Supreme Court eliminated bans on interracial marriages with the Loving v Virginia decision. Alabama was the last state to repeal the interracial marriage ban in the year 2000.