Obergefell v. Hodges
The decision nationalized marriage equality and linked liberty and equality principles.
Do the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses protect the right of same-sex couples to marry?
Obergefell v. Hodges consolidated challenges from same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses or recognition of marriages performed in other states. The cases asked whether state bans violated the Fourteenth Amendment.
The Supreme Court held that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. The majority relied on both due process and equal protection principles, describing marriage as a fundamental liberty that states could not deny on the basis of sexual orientation.
The decision nationalized marriage equality and connected personal liberty, dignity, family law, and equal citizenship. It remains a major example of how due process and equal protection can work together in constitutional reasoning.
Facts
Same-sex couples challenged state marriage bans and nonrecognition rules.
Ruling
The Court held that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.
Why It Matters
The decision nationalized marriage equality and linked liberty and equality principles.
Related Ideas