Same-Sex Couples Have Fundamental Right to Marry
Yesterday, Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
Today, that definition is an unconstitutional violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples have the fundamental right to marry.
Obergefell v. Hodges
This case was actually a combination of four cases from different states. In the named case Obergefell v. Hodges, Jim Obergefell, from Ohio, and his partner married in Maryland after the United States v. Windsor decision in 2013. However, the state of Ohio refused to recognize Obergefell's marriage.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that Ohio did not have to recognize same-sex marriages performed out of state.
In its decision today, the Supreme Court overruled the Sixth Circuit.
History of Marriage by Justice Kennedy
Writing for the 5-4 majority, Justice Kennedy turned to the history of marriage.
While opponents of same-sex marriage argued that the institution of marriage would be demeaned if the definition changed, Kennedy pointed out that the history of marriage has not been stagnant. He wrote, "The history of marriage is one of both continuity and change. Changes, such as the decline of arranged marriages and the abandonment of the law of coverture, have worked deep transformations in the structure of marriage, affecting aspects of marriage once viewed as essential."
When marriage changed, the institution got stronger, not weaker. So, a change in the definition to include a union between two men or two women would not be disastrous as feared.
Fundamental Right to Marry
More importantly, Kennedy declared, "The right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of the person, and under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment couples of the same sex may not be deprived of that right and that liberty. Same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry."
Now, all states must provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize same-sex marriages lawfully licensed and performed in another state.
Related Resources:
- Same-Sex Marriage: Supreme Court Rules in Favor, President Obama Calls It 'Victory for America' (ABC News)
- How Will the Upcoming SCOTUS Decision Affect Same Sex Marriage? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- 500 Same Sex Marriages to be Recognized in Ark. (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- Same-Sex Marriage: A Historical Introduction (FindLaw's Learn About The Law)