Supreme Court Ruling (Gay Marriage)

                                                                 

The White House in celebration of same sex marriage
being legalized!!

#LoveisLove

BACKGROUND

Prior to their decision, same-sex marriage was already legal in 37 states and Washington DC, but was banned in the remaining 13. US public opinion has shifted significantly over the years, from 27% approval of gay marriage in 1996 to 60% in 2015.

WHAT’S THE RULING/DECISION/VERDICT

The Supreme Court recently ruled that same sex marriage will be legal in all 50 states. This ruling was passed on June 26^th, 2015. The vote was 5 – 4, the judges who voted against same sex marriage were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito. The Justices who voted for same sex marriage were Justice Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Breyer. They detailed why same sex marriage should be protected by the Constitution, and why they’ve decided to grant the right to all Americans.

WHAT ARE THE INCENTIVES WERE TO NEGATE

Chief Justice Roberts - The ultimate right to marry does not include a right to make a state change its definition of marriage. Our Constitution does not enact any one concept of marriage. The people of a state are free to expand marriage to include same-sex couples, or to retain the historic definition.

Justice Antonin Scalia – It’s not of special importance what the law says about marriage. It is of overwhelming importance, who it is that decides. Today’s verdict says 9 lawyers will decide on a verdict for 320 million people coast to coast and that is the issue.  

WHAT ARE THE INCENTIVES WERE TO AFFIRM

Justice Ruth Ginsburg and Anthony Kennedy – “Under the Constitution, same-sex couples seek in marriage the same legal treatment as opposite-sex couples, and it would ridicule their choices and diminish their person hood to deny them the right of marriage.”