U.S. Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide
- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that same-sex couples have the constitutional right to marry.
- Ten years after the ruling, the number of married same-sex couples has more than doubled, but support varies by political affiliation.
- Concerns exist among LGBTQ+ advocates about potential legal challenges to marriage equality in the future.
On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage across the nation in a 5-4 decision. The case, Obergefell v. Hodges, marked a significant shift in American law and culture, providing same-sex couples with equal rights to marry. Before this decision, states had various laws regarding same-sex unions, creating a patchwork of legal recognition and prohibitions. The ruling was based on the principles of individual liberty and equal protection under the law as outlined in the Fourteenth Amendment, establishing that restricting marriage to opposite-sex couples was unconstitutional. The ruling addressed a long-standing debate surrounding marriage equality, affirming that same-sex couples were entitled to the same legal benefits and protections as heterosexual couples. The majority opinion, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, emphasized that denying same-sex couples the right to marry deprives them of liberty, dignity, and recognition under the law. While 16 states had already legalized same-sex marriage at the time, the ruling unified the country's stance, requiring all states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize their marriages performed in other states. As of June 2025, ten years after this ruling, public opinion on same-sex marriage remains divided, particularly among political affiliations. Although support has increased overall, recent polling indicates a decline in support among registered Republicans. The conservative majority of the Supreme Court is currently considering several cases involving LGBTQ+ rights, raising concerns among advocates regarding potential legal challenges to the Obergefell ruling. In conjunction with growing public support, the number of married same-sex couples in the U.S. has more than doubled since the ruling. Despite this progress, many LGBTQ+ advocates remain vigilant, fearing backlash against same-sex marriage and related rights. The divided public opinion and certain lawmakers' attempts to revisit the Obergefell decision suggest a complex ongoing dialogue around marriage equality and LGBTQ+ protections in America.