In a landmark opinion, a divided Supreme Court ruled Friday that states cannot ban same-sex marriage, establishing a new civil right and handing gay rights advocates a victory that until very recently would have seemed unthinkable. The 5-4 ruling had Justice Anthony Kennedy writing for the majority with the four liberal justices. The far-reaching decision settles one of the major civil rights fights of this era, one that has rapidly evolved in the minds of the American public and its leaders, including President Barack Obama. "No union is more profound than marriage, for it
embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family," Kennedy wrote. "In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were. "Their hope," Kennedy wrote, "is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right," the judge said as the gay supporters outside the court couldn’t hold their joy as they jubilated.
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