Obergefell v. Hodges resolved the status of same‑sex marriage nationwide. What did the Court hold?

Obergefell v. Hodges resolved the status of same‑sex marriage nationwide. What did the Court hold?

• A. States may ban same-sex marriage.
• B. Same-sex marriage is legal in every state.
• C. The Court did not decide on same-sex marriage.
• D. Only some states must recognize same-sex marriages.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that the Court treated marriage as a fundamental right that applies equally to all couples, including those of the same sex. In Obergefell v. Hodges, the justices held that denying same‑sex couples the right to marry violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. Because the right to marry is fundamental, states cannot ban it for same‑sex couples or refuse to recognize marriages performed in other states. The result is a nationwide standard: all states must license same‑sex marriages and must recognize those marriages performed elsewhere. That’s why the correct conclusion is that same‑sex marriage is legal in every state.

The key idea is that the Court treated marriage as a fundamental right that applies equally to all couples, including those of the same sex. In Obergefell v. Hodges, the justices held that denying same‑sex couples the right to marry violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. Because the right to marry is fundamental, states cannot ban it for same‑sex couples or refuse to recognize marriages performed in other states. The result is a nationwide standard: all states must license same‑sex marriages and must recognize those marriages performed elsewhere. That’s why the correct conclusion is that same‑sex marriage is legal in every state.