CLEVELAND—Today, the Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution guarantees the freedom to marry for all Americans. The historic decision means that hundreds of thousands same-sex couples will soon have the freedom to marry and recognition for their marriages across the country.

The statement below can be attributed to Christine Link, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio.

“This is a momentous win for freedom, equality, and most of all, love. This ruling will bring joy to families in Ohio and across the country, and a final victory to the decades-long freedom-to-marry movement. We hope that our officials move swiftly to implement the ruling in Ohio, which was one of 13 states with marriage discrimination. Same-sex couples and their families have waited long enough.

“While we celebrate marriage equality as a nation, the ACLU will continue to work towards equality, especially nondiscrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals here in Ohio and the nation. It’s unacceptable that hardworking LGBT people can still be fired from their jobs, evicted from their homes, and denied service in restaurants and shops simply for being who they are.”

The Supreme Court consolidated six cases from Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Tennessee. The ACLU, along with Lambda Legal and Gerhardstein & Branch, were co-counsel on the Ohio case, Obergefell v. Hodges, which presented the question of whether the 14th Amendment requires a state to recognize the out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples. The ALCU also was co-counsel on Bourke v. Beshear, which challenged Kentucky’s constitutional ban on marriage for same-sex couples.

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