by AMY LASSITER Section Editor
The Supreme Court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in 11 more states on October 6, nearly finalizing legalization in the U.S.
Only two years ago, gay and lesbian couples were completely unable to marry, but in that short amount of time, our nation has reached legalization in 30 out of 50 states, plus the District of Columbia.
Without any warning, the justices rejected protests from social conservatives in five states who currently ban same-sex marriage, and completely struck down their appeals.
Half of the population of the United States live in states where same-sex marriage is legalized, yet LGBT+ couples and families are still constantly fighting discrimination.
“I’m so happy to see that our country’s officials are slowly starting to realize their mistake in discriminating against gay marriage. As someone who is a part of the LGBT spectrum, I probably will want to marry someone of the same sex in the future. It gives me hope knowing that it won’t be impossible for me or anyone else to marry who they love,” said an anonymous student.
The court’s decision made gay marriage immediately legal in Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, Indiana, and Wisconsin, shocking many due to the states’ reputations for social conservatism.
In addition, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming were affected due to the fact that they are in the same federal appellate circuit court districts that have declared gay marriage bans unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court failed to address the argument that gay marriage is not recognized in the Constitution, therefore should not be a right, making their decisions a bit less valid to some conservatives.
The recognition of the injustice of gay marriage bans is rapidly growing, and as more states follow Massachusetts, the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004, more people are proudly supporting LGBT citizens.
From celebrity outreaches, media representation, high school GSAs, and political support, acceptance of gay marriage is finally a reality.
Graphic by Maloy Moore, Len De Groot, Raoul Rañoa
As shown above, while we are still a long way away, legalization, as well as the expectation of legalization, has grown since the Supreme Court’s decision.
“I used to believe that gay marriage was wrong, and I would tell people to keep that stuff out of my face. After I saw things about gay marriage online and on TV, though, I started to realize that what was happening is insanely unfair. Love is love, and the fact that the Supreme Court is recognizing gay marriage gives me a lot of hope for America,” said an anonymous student.
How do you feel about the Supreme Court’s decision? Do you think it will help the U.S. move in the right direction?