TRENDING

#LoveWins is American English for #MarRef, and it’s very popular

26 Jun 2015

US flag with rainbow colours #LoveWins

In a landmark, narrow 5-4 decision, the US Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage – with that, social media went nuts.

The ruling has essentially established a new country-wide civil right to the gay community, following in Ireland’s footsteps.

Last month, Ireland became the first country in the world to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote.

The swing vote in the Supreme Court seems to have been Justice Anthony Kennedy, going against his conservative peers to join with the four liberal justices.

Well worded ruling

The official ruling read, “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 once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death.

“It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves.

“Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.

“The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed. It is so ordered.”

With that, many thousands of people on Twitter rejoiced:

 Of course it wasn’t just Americans reacting to the news, with Irish gay rights campaigners, too, getting involved.

 

We were kind of hoping Senator David Norris, Ireland’s longest serving, best known gay rights activist would have Tweeted by now, but as yet he has not. But here’s his latest Tweet anyway.

Main image, via Shutterstock

Gordon Hunt was a journalist with Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com