By ELEANOR HEDGES DUROY, age 12
Couples nationwide tie the knot following the legalization of same-sex marriage by the Supreme Court. PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons
June 26, 2015 marked an important day in U.S. history. In a case called Obergefell v Hodges, the Supreme Court ruled five to four that all bans on same-sex marriage must be removed. James Obergefell, the primary plaintiff, said he is a regular person who was denied his rights: “I’m just Jim, I just stood up for our marriage.”
The ruling came after more than 60 years of grassroots activism and several high-profile cases. With this ruling, the United States joins 22 other countries which already protect same-sex marriage rights. President Obama stated, “This decision affirms what millions of Americans already believe in their hearts: When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free.”
However, the ruling is not a victory in everyone’s opinion. Some conservative religious groups believe that the ruling goes against the tenets of their faiths as laid out in their holy books.
While the ruling is a victory for gay rights, activists believe it does not solve all problems. In 14 states, there is no employment protection for LGBTQ people, so even though they can now get married, they can get fired from their jobs for it.
Greta Gustava Martela, co-founder of a crisis hotline for transgender people called “Trans Lifeline,” told the Daily Beast: “Transgender women, particularly transgender women of color, are overwhelmingly the people represented by LGBT violence and suicide statistics, and yet we have to struggle for simple representation in the LGBT movement.”
