A Year in Review: Where Have LGBTs Come Since Marriage Equality?

Obergefell v. Hodges ruling makes same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Ohioan Jim Obergefell to recognize him as the surviving spouse of his husband, John Arthur, striking down the state's ban on same-sex marriage. The ruling subsequently tore down bans on same-sex marriage across all 50 states, as the high court decided that the right to marry was protected under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said that marriage "responds to the universal fear that a lonely person might call out only to find no one there" and "offers the hope of companionship and understanding and assurance that while both still live there will be someone to care for the other."

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Lead image: AP/Kathy Willens