Summary
The Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision on June 26, 2015, made same-sex marriage legal across the United States. The ruling required all states to license and recognize marriages between same-sex couples, bringing uniformity to marriage laws nationwide. This decision significantly increased the number of married same-sex couples in the U.S.
Key Facts
- The Obergefell v. Hodges ruling was issued on June 26, 2015.
- This Supreme Court decision legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states.
- Before the ruling, 37 states and Washington, D.C. allowed gay marriage; the rest had bans.
- The decision was based on the 14th Amendment, which requires equal protection under the law.
- Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion for the 5-4 ruling.
- The ruling addressed a patchy legal landscape where only some states recognized same-sex marriages.
- As a result, same-sex marriages quickly took place across the country.
- In the decade following the ruling, the number of married same-sex couples in the U.S. more than doubled.
