WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of requiring all states to recognize gay marriage in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges. At issue in the case was if the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution requires a state to issue a marriage license to same-sex couples and if it requires a state to recognize a same-sex marriage when that marriage was licensed and performed out-of-state. The Court ruled 5-4 that states cannot deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples and that they must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.
“I am committed to civil rights for gay and lesbian Americans, and am a supporter of same-sex marriage. A little over a year ago, Oregon’s same-sex marriage ban was rightly struck down and our state has been a leader in passing anti-discrimination legislation for LGBT citizens. Today, a clear majority of the American public supports same-sex couples’ right to marry and I’m proud to stand with them in applauding the Supreme Court’s decision. No state should be able to deny anyone the right to marry the one they love and I’m happy that all states must now recognize same-sex marriages under the Constitution of the United States. It is a significant day for civil rights and the progress of equality under the law in the United States.
