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The US Supreme Court declared Friday that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the country, in a dramatic culmination of two decades of litigation over marriage, and gay rights in general.
The US Supreme Court declared Friday that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the country, in a dramatic culmination of two decades of litigation over marriage, and gay rights in general.
"No union is more profound than marriage," wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy for the five liberal justices in the majority opinion. The stories of the people asking for the right to marry "reveal that they seek not to denigrate marriage but rather to live their lives, or honor their spouses' memory, joined by its bond."
Gay and lesbian couples already could marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The court's 5-4 ruling means the remaining 14 states, in the South and Midwest, will have to stop enforcing their bans on same-sex marriage. A number of states quickly announced they would start issuing marriage licenses.
US has now become the 21st country to legalise same sex marriage. In May this year, Ireland became the first country in the world to approve gay marriage by popular vote.