Emotional couples prepare to marry after historic Supreme Court ruling
The first same-sex couples are preparing to marry in a number of states, after a historic ruling in favour of equality by the Supreme Court.
The US Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right – paving the way for weddings in all 50 states.
The highest court in the US made a surprise early decision today on same-sex marriage, after hearing ‘mega-case’ Obergefell v. Hodges.
Not all couples can instantly marry following the ruling, as it requires subsequent decisions to filter down through a number of state courts – but in some states with bans, licenses are already being issued.
The case also brings equality directly to Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Michigan, while couples have already married in Georgia’s Fulton County Courthouse, according to Associated Press.
Within minutes of the ruling, President Obama had written on Twitter: “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.”
Here is what the five justices who voted in favour of equality had to say about the nature of marriage:
The nature of marriage is that, through its enduring bond, two persons together can find other freedoms, such as expression, intimacy, and spirituality. This is true for all persons, whatever their sexual orientation.
There is dignity in the bond between two men or two women who seek to marry and in their autonomy to make such profound choices.
