President Obama on Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

June 26, 2015 President Obama spoke about the Supreme Court’s decision in the Obergefell vs Hodges case on same-sex marriage. The Court ruled 5-4 that the Fourteenth Amendment requires states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize marriages from other states. President Obama praised the ruling, saying “we’ve made our union a little more perfect” and calling the decsion a “victory for America.” 

OUR NATION WAS FOUNDED IN A BEDROCK PRINCIPLE. THAT WE ARE ALL CREATED EQUAL. THE PROJECT OF EACH GENERATION IS TO BRIDGE THE MEANING OF THOSE SOUNDING WORDS WITH THE REALITIES OF CHANGING TIMES. A NEVER-ENDING QUEST TO ENSURE THOSE WORDS RING TRUE FOR EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN. PROGRESS ON THIS JOURNEY OFTEN COMES IN SMALL INCREMENTS. SOMETIMES TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK. PROPELLED BY THE PERSISTENT EFFORT OF DEDICATED CITIZENS. AND THEN SOMETIMES THERE ARE DAYS LIKE THIS. WHEN THAT SLOW, STEADY EFFORT IS REWARDED WITH JUSTICE THAT ARRIVES LIKE A THUNDERBOLT. THIS MORNING, THE SUPREME COURT RECOGNIZED THAT THE CONSTITUTION GUARANTEES MARRIAGE EQUALITY. IN DOING SO, THEY HAVE REAFFIRMED THAT ALL AMERICANS ARE ENTITLED TO THE EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAW. THAT ALL PEOPLE SHOULD BE TREATED EQUALLY, REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY ARE WITH THE LOVE. THIS DECISION WILL END THE PATCHWORK SYSTEM WE CURRENTLY HAVE, IT WILL END OF THE UNCERTAINTY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF COUPLES WILL FACE BY NOT KNOWING THEIR MARRIAGE, LEGITIMATE IN THE EYES OF ONE STATE, WILL REMAIN IF THEY DECIDE TO MOVE OR EVEN VISIT ANOTHER. THIS RULING WILL STRENGTHEN ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES. BY OFFERING ALL LOVING SAME-SEX COUPLES THE DIGNITY OF MARRIAGE ACROSS THIS GREAT LAND. IN MY SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS, I SAID THAT IF WE ARE TRULY CREATED EQUAL, THEN SURELY THE LOVE WE COMMIT TO ONE ANOTHER MUST PEOPLE AS WELL. IT IS GRATIFYING TO SEE THAT PRINCIPLE ENSHRINED INTO LAW BY THIS DECISION. THIS RULING IS A VICTORY FOR JIM JIM OBERGEFELL -- AND THE OTHER COPIES IN THE CASE -- COUPLES IN THE CASE. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS. IT'S A VICTORY FOR THEIR CHILDREN WHOSE FAMILIES ONE OF THE RECOGNIZED AS EQUAL TO ANY OTHER. IT IS A VICTORY FOR THE ALLIES AND FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS WHO SPENT YEARS, EVEN DECADES WORKING IN PRAYING FOR CHANGE TO COME. AND THIS RULING IS A VICTORY FOR AMERICA. THIS DECISION AFFIRMS WHAT MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ALREADY BELIEVE IN THEIR HEARTS -- WHEN ALL AMERICANS ARE TREATED AS EQUAL, WE ARE ALL MORE FREE. MY ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN GUIDED BY THAT IDEA. IT'S WHY WE STOP DEFENDING THE SO-CALLED DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT. AND WHY WE WERE PLEASED WHEN THE COURT FINALLY STRUCK DOWN THE CENTRAL PROVISION OF THAT DISCRIMINATORY LAW. IT'S WHY WE ENDED DON'T ASK DON'T TELL. FROM EXTENDING FULL MARITAL BENEFITS TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND THEIR SPOUSES TO EXPANDING HOSPITAL VISITATION RIGHTS FOR LGBT PATIENTS AND THEIR LOVED ONES, WE MADE REAL PROGRESS ADVANCING EQUALITY FOR LGBT AMERICANS IN WAYS THAT WERE UNIMAGINABLE NOT TOO LONG AGO. I KNOW CHANGE FOR MANY OF OUR LGBT BROTHERS AND SISTERS MUST HAVE SEEMED SO SLOW FOR SO LONG. BUT COMPARED TO SO MANY OTHER ISSUES, AMERICA'S SHIFT HAS BEEN SO QUICK. I KNOW THAT AMERICANS OF GOOD WILL CONTINUE TO HOLD A WIDE RANGE OF VIEWS ON THIS ISSUE. OPPOSITION IN SOME CASES HAS BEEN BASED ON SINCERE AND DEEPLY HELD BELIEFS. ALL OF US WELCOME TODAY'S NEWS SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF THAT FACT. AND RECOGNIZE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS. REVERE OUR DEEP COMMITMENT TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. BUT TODAY SHOULD ALSO GIVE US HOPE THAT ON THE MANY ISSUES WITH WHICH WE GRAPPLE, OFTEN PAINFULLY, REAL CHANGE IS POSSIBLE. SHIFTS IN HEARTS AND MINDS IS POSSIBLE. AND THOSE WHO HAVE COME SO FAR ON THEIR JOURNEY TO EQUALITY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO REACH BACK AND HELP OTHERS JOIN THEM. BECAUSE FOR ALL OF OUR DIFFERENCES, WE ARE ONE PEOPLE, STRONGER TOGETHER THAN WE CAN EVER BE ALONE. THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR STORY. WE ARE BIG AND VAST AND DIVERSE AS A NATION. PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND BELIEFS, DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AND STORIES, BUT FOUND BY THE SHARED IDEAL THAT NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE, HOW YOU STARTED OFF OR HOW AND WHO YOU LOVE, AMERICA IS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN WRITE EURO DESTINY. -- RIGHT YOUR OWN DESTINY. WE ARE PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE EVERY CHILD IS ENTITLED TO LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE WORK TO BE DONE TO EXTEND THE FULL PROMISE OF AMERICA TO EVERY AMERICAN. BUT TODAY WE CAN SAY IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT WE HAVE MADE OUR UNION IS LITTLE MORE PERFECT. THAT IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF A DECISION FROM THE SUPREME COURT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE COUNTLESS SMALL ACTS OF COURAGE OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS DECADES WHO STOOD UP, WHO CAME OUT, WHO TALKED TO PARENTS, PARENTS WHO LOVE THEIR CHILDREN NO MATTER WHAT. FOLKS WHO WERE WILLING TO ENDURE BULLYING AND TAUNTS AND STAYED STRONG. AND CAME TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES AND WHO THEY WERE. AND SLOWLY MADE AN ENTIRE COUNTRY REALIZE THAT LOVE IS LOVE. WHAT AN EXTRA ORDINARY ACHIEVEMENTS, WHAT A VINDICATION OF THE BELIEF THAT ORDINARY PEOPLE CAN DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS. WHAT A REMINDER OF WHAT BOBBY KENNEDY ONCE SAID ABOUT HOW SMALL ACTIONS CAN BE LIKE PEBBLES BEING THROWN INTO A STILL LAKE. AND RIPPLES OF HOPE CASCADE OUTWARDS. AND CHANGE THE WORLD. THOSE COUNTLESS, OFTEN ANONYMOUS , HEROES DESERVE OUR THANKS. THEY SHOULD BE VERY PROUD. AMERICA SHOULD BE VERY PROUD.