Looking slap happy in that photo young lady... That's because, in a landmark opinion, a divided Supreme Court ruled Friday that States cannot ban same-sex marriage. This means that gay rights activists have won an all-time victory in the United States. Who would have thunk it? The 5-4 ruling had Justice Anthony Kennedy writing for the majority with the four liberal justices. Did he even know what he was doing? Apparently he did! This decision settles one of many civil rights fights of this era.
Here's Your Key Players Of The 5-4 Ruling
Chief Justice Roberts, Jr. states, “If you are among the many Americans — of whatever sexual orientation — who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today’s decision,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote. “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.”
The Windsor Decision
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-307_6j37.pdf
A second decision on the same day, U.S. vs. Windsor induced the movement for same-sex marriage with what ended up a landslide in majority decision. It essentially scattered the part of the Defense of Marriage Act that barred federal benefits for same-sex couples married in states that allowed such unions.
NY Times reports that the Windsor decision was based partly on federalism grounds, with Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion stressing that state decisions on how to treat marriages deserved respect. But lower courts focused on other parts of his opinion, ones that emphasized the dignity of gay relationships and the harm that families of gay couples suffered from bans on same-sex marriage.
Decades of litigation and activism would have it that public opinion with utilization of polls indicate that MOST Americans now approve of same-sex marriage. (Really....most???) Hey, why not believe all that is told to you!
It's an ever-changing world my friends, and the U.S. is surely making attempts to be the state-of-the-art jump-starter for change.
And with that being said...
Go Ahead & Click The Orange Button: