The Supreme Court of the United States of America on
Friday finally legalised same sex marriage throughout the whole country.
Before the announcement, only states which had passed the
legalisation allowed same-couple marriages, but under the new ruling all 50
states in the country would allow same sex marriage.
The issue of same sex marriage has led to significant changes
in matrimony laws including a court ruling over 50 years ago that
legalised interracial marriage.
This new ruling means that the ban on gay marriages in
14 US states has been cancelled. The states which forbid it are geographically
situated in the “Bible Belt” areas of the Southern US.
Today’s ruling means the decision from Cincinnati’s
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the right of states to maintain “the
traditional definition of marriage” has been cancelled.
A 5-4 decision with the majority opinion written by
Justice Anthony Kennedy made the decision possible.
He wrote of same sex couples: “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.”
President Obama
Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins
Barack Obama
Comments
Post a Comment