Recent Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage a step forward for gay rights advocates

Freja Sonnichsen, Editorial Editor

*Names have been changed to protect identity.

When logging onto Facebook, it is likely that one will see a lot more color than usual. Multi-colored filters signifying the LGBTQ+ flag are now on more than 26 million profile pictures in support of the Supreme Court decision made on June 26, 2015, which legalized gay marriage in all 50 states.

For the estimated 9 million gay, bisexual and/or transgender people in America (found in a study at UCLA School of Law), this ruling has great significance.

“It means that I can marry whoever I fall in love with,” Senior Liz Fritz said.

The ruling happened to coincide with Pride Day, which is usually at the end of June, causing the parades to massively grow in attention, participation and media coverage. In almost every major city in the United States, the streets were filled with gay rights advocates celebrating the ruling. Junior Chloe Woodward went to a parade in Chicago to celebrate not only the Supreme Court decision, but the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.

“Everyone there was so happy and friendly,” Woodward said. “It added to this huge positive vibe that helped me feel connected to everyone else celebrating that day.”
However, this ruling was not an event of celebration for everyone, as some found the Supreme Court decision dissatisfying. This goes especially for members of religious groups which aren’t in support of gay marriage.

“I was very shocked and disappointed [about the court decision],” Central graduate Nick Saylor said. “I have strict moral and religious values that don’t tolerate anything other than heterosexual relations.”

However, there were other topics then same-sex relations involved in the court case that made the ruling so controversial. Because it dealt with same-sex marriage and not relationships, the entire concept of marriage had to redefined since it in biblical terms is only to be between a man and a woman. The court opinion made by Justice Anthony Kennedy states, “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family… In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were.”

Even though the court ruling only directly affects gay couples, Saylor predicts that this ruling will go beyond these relationships, and leave it’s mark on American culture.

“[Gay marriage] will be more common in tv and media outlets,” said Saylor. “Some churches may also be forced to marry gay people, even [though they don’t recognize it].”

Herald Jones* doesn’t only think that its churches who will have to unwillingly abide by the new laws, but citizens against same sex marriage as well, due to fear of stigmatization by the public.

“People started to post angry and hateful things at people who don’t support gay marriage,” Jones said. “[We] are being pushed to accept this law, so it’s not really a freedom; it’s a social pressure.”

However, Gay Rights advocates such as Senior Kai Oliver see the issue in a rather different light. He believes that rather than pressuring the public to abide, the new law encourages the opposite of pressure: freedom.

“We still have a long way to go, but this was a huge step for equality,” said Oliver. “I would like to think that the voices of intolerance are drowned out by the cheers of acceptance.”

While it is yet unknown how the public will perceive the court ruling in the generations to come, Junior Zoe Comerford has an idea.

“I think future generations won’t know that there was once a time where same sex marriages weren’t allowed in all 50 states,” said Comerford. “It will [have] become a norm.”

Maya Fenter, Naina Prasad and Sanya Rupani contributed to this story.