Same-Sex Marriage in US

Setting the scene

Same-sex marriage became legal nationwide in the U.S. on June 26, 2015, when the Supreme Court decided Obergefell v. Hodges 5-4. The ruling held that the Fourteenth Amendment requires states to license and recognize same-sex marriages.

What happened

Justice Kennedy wrote that marriage is a fundamental right. The decision followed rapid public opinion shift—support rose from 27% in 1996 to 60% in 2015. The first legal same-sex marriages had occurred in Massachusetts in 2004.

Why it still matters

Obergefell was a landmark civil rights victory, though it remains contested. June 26 is now celebrated as a milestone for LGBTQ rights.

Background

Culture-war fights shifted to new fronts.