Supreme Court Legalizes Same Sex Marriage Nationwide
The US Supreme Court in a historic decision ruled on Friday that gay and lesbian couples in the country have the constitutional right to marriage.
The Apex court ruled by a 5-4 majority and now guarantees that same sex marriages are legal across all 50 states in the US
"No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family," wrote Justice Anthony M Kennedy for the majority opinion, adding, "In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were."
"Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. 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."
As Justice Kennedy made his announcement in the courtroom, many of his colleagues watched the proceedings stone faced.
Many gay and lesbian activists assembled outside the Supreme Court hugged and the cheered the courts decision.
Speaking about the verdict, President Obama said, "All Americans are entitled to the equal protection of the law." He also called it "a victory for America."
