The US Supreme Court has today ruled that no individual states can prevent same-sex couples from marrying, and all must recognise the unions, essentially legalising same-sex marriage across all 50 states.
The ruling passed 5-4.
Today’s ruling represents the latest milestone in the gay rights movement in recent years. Back in 2010, President Obama signed a law that enabled gay individuals to serve in the US military, and in 2013, the High Court declared as unconstitutional a 1996 US law that specified that for the purpose of federal benefits marriage was defined as union between a man and a woman.
President Obama has said that the court ruling is a “victory for America”.