Evolution of Marriage Equality in the United States

If you are against gay marriage you are ignorant to the path of history. Time after time, those who oppose the sharing rights and legal protections are overturned.

You can read my essay for eamonnmallie.com on how marriage equality will in the end come to Northern Ireland here. You can also read my blog post that followed the Supreme Court ruling from the United States that smacked down the DOMA legislation here.

The above map comes from Andrew Sullivan, thanks for that.

SCOTUS ruling against DOMA moves the world a step closer to marriage equality

Andrew Sullivan has said that marriage equality is the civil rights issue of our age. As have many others, including Mayor Bloomberg. I agree. 

The recent decision by the Supreme Court of the United States did not actually find a fundamental right in the constitution to same-sex marriage. Therefore the highest court in America did not impose gay marriage by fiat on every state. Rather, the court led by Chief Justice John Roberts made it that federal law upholds and recognizes all gay marriages. 

There are 30 states that still ban marriage equality an they can continue to do so; but the federal government cannot stop marriage equality. As Andrew Sullivan said, the democratic debate will go on at state level, even as the momentum for equality has been increased. Andrew said:

"I find these incremental nudges and concessions to be the best kind of jurisprudence."

Andrew Sullivan then commented on the global import of America's new constitutional arrangement:

"Last week the court saw the mountaintop ahead and nudged America - and the world - towards it."