On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that individual states could not prohibit same-sex couples from marrying and must recognize their unions. According to a Gallup poll, the decision reflects the public opinion, with 60% of Americans supporting extending the same rights to same-sex marriages as traditional ones. The ruling immediately changed the law in the 13 states that had banned gay marriage.

 Justice Anthony Kennedy, regarded as the swing vote, wrote in the majority opinion "They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right."

 The ruling went viral in short order, spurring a widespread #LoveWins campaign across Twitter, and inspiring buildings across the nation to light up in rainbow colors, including the spire of 1 World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, San Francisco's City Hall, the California State Capitol, and, the most impactful of all, the White House. 

Hats off to lead plaintiff Jim Obergefell who, along with a dozen other couples, stood behind their beliefs to elicit change. Read the full ruling >>