ISSUE
Friday, August 22, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 73
Putting an end to years of LGBT campaigns and bitter legal battles, the US Supreme Court ruled in favour of same-sex marriages on Friday, June 26, thus legalising gay marriages across all 50 states, 11 years after it was first legalised in Massachusetts. Five out of the nine court justices determined the right to marriage equality in the case known as Obergefell v Hodges, where an Ohio man filed a suit to have James Obergefell recognised on his partner, John Arthur’s, death certificate so they could be buried together in a family plot. They alleged that the state of Ohio discriminates against same-sex couples who have lawfully married out of the state.
The court’s ruling was a historic triumph for gay rights movement in the US. As the news came out on Friday morning, the crowd outside the court broke into jubilations with people waving rainbow flags, holding signs and chanting “Love has won”. Justice Arthur Kennedy wrote, “No longer may this liberty be denied. No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.” The court’s four other justices were Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kegan shared the majority opinion.
Barack Obama, the first president to support gay marriage, said, “This decision affirms what millions of Americans already believe in their hearts. When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free.” And as the sun disappeared into the horizon, the White House lit in rainbow colours to mark the court’s decision.
The US’ heartening ruling has set a tone. Love sees no boundaries. An individual’s sexual orientation is no longer a hurdle to cross before saying your vows. It is one giant step towards equality. It tackles injustice that hundreds have been forced to live with until now. Many countries are now embracing this new vision of a society where it doesn’t matter who you fall in love with.
The US joined the growing number of governments around the world that include Ireland, Finland, France, Brazil, New Zealand, England and Wales and the Netherlands—the first one to grant legal recognition—who have legalised same-sex marriages. It is uplifting to see that governments are changing their perceptions and are breaking free of shackles that had bind them and the society to antediluvian thoughts for decades.
Putting an end to years of LGBT campaigns and bitter legal battles, the US Supreme Court ruled in favour of same-sex marriages on Friday, June 26, thus legalising gay marriages across all 50 states, 11 years after it was first legalised in Massachusetts. Five out of the nine court justices...
Putting an end to years of LGBT campaigns and bitter legal battles, the US Supreme Court ruled in favour of same-sex marriages on Friday, June 26, thus legalising gay marriages across all 50 states, 11 years after it was first legalised in Massachusetts. Five out of the nine court justices determined the right to marriage equality in the case known as Obergefell v Hodges, where an Ohio man filed a suit to have James Obergefell recognised on his partner, John Arthur’s, death certificate so they could be buried together in a family plot. They alleged that the state of Ohio discriminates against same-sex couples who have lawfully married out of the state.
The court’s ruling was a historic triumph for gay rights movement in the US. As the news came out on Friday morning, the crowd outside the court broke into jubilations with people waving rainbow flags, holding signs and chanting “Love has won”. Justice Arthur Kennedy wrote, “No longer may this liberty be denied. No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.” The court’s four other justices were Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kegan shared the majority opinion.
Barack Obama, the first president to support gay marriage, said, “This decision affirms what millions of Americans already believe in their hearts. When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free.” And as the sun disappeared into the horizon, the White House lit in rainbow colours to mark the court’s decision.
The US’ heartening ruling has set a tone. Love sees no boundaries. An individual’s sexual orientation is no longer a hurdle to cross before saying your vows. It is one giant step towards equality. It tackles injustice that hundreds have been forced to live with until now. Many countries are now embracing this new vision of a society where it doesn’t matter who you fall in love with.
The US joined the growing number of governments around the world that include Ireland, Finland, France, Brazil, New Zealand, England and Wales and the Netherlands—the first one to grant legal recognition—who have legalised same-sex marriages. It is uplifting to see that governments are changing their perceptions and are breaking free of shackles that had bind them and the society to antediluvian thoughts for decades.
Leave a Comment