Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Nationwide Marriage Equality

Supreme Court Rules That Bans On Same-Sex Marriage Are Unconstitutional. On June 26, the Supreme Court ruled that bans on same-sex marriage violate the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. According to The New York Times:

In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Constitution guarantees a nationwide right to same-sex marriage.

The 5-to-4 decision, the culmination of decades of litigation and activism, came against the backdrop of fast-moving changes in public opinion, with polls indicating that most Americans now approve of same-sex marriage. [The New York Times, 6/26/15]

“We Do Not Live In A Democracy”: Right-Wing Criticizes Marriage Equality Decision

National Review Online's Hillyer: “We Should Weep For Our Country.” National Review contributing editor Quin Hillyer responded to the Supreme Court's decision by writing that "[w]e should weep for our country" (emphasis added):

There is absolutely no way for Justice Anthony Kennedy to square today's decision with his ten pages of paeans to states' authority over marriage in the 2013 case of U.S. v. Windsor. None. The damage done to the Constitution and the rule of law in the last two days -- in Burwell regarding Obamacare subsidies, in Obergefell today on same-sex marriage, and in yesterday's housing disparate-impact case as well -- is incalculably high. We should weep for our country, and for its constitutional order. [National Review Online, 6/26/15]

Fox's MacCallum: “What's To Prevent” Three People From Getting Married Now? On the June 26 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, host Martha MacCallum said “We're just trying to think about the ramifications, when a precedent is set, what it means down the road, right? So suppose three people say, we want to be a marriage; we're three people, and we love each other, and we want to be a marriage. What's to prevent that, under this?” [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 6/26/15]

Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol: “Polygamy, Here We Come!” Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol commented on the decision by declaring “Polygamy, here we come!”

Polygamy, here we come! Roberts: “The majority randomly inserts the adjective 'two' in various places for no reason at all.”

-- Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) June 26, 2015

[Twitter.com, 6/26/15]

HotAir.com's Ed Morrissey: Gay Marriage Decision Will Lead To “Challenges To Polygamy Bans.” HotAir.com senior editor Ed Morissey suggested in a blog post that marriage equality would lead to “challenges to polgamy bans” (emphasis added):

All of this was true in Lawrence as well. This is just the fruit of that tree finally ripening, and it won't be the last of it, either. Just wait for challenges to polygamy bans to rise to the Supreme Court. What in this decision would keep the court from declaring that a right under Lawrence? Tellingly, none of the justices writing today even mentions polygamy at all, which leaves that question wide open for the next test. [HotAir.com, 6/26/15]

Breitbart.com's Nolte: Decision “Emboldens Gaystapo To Target ... Your Church” And Leaves “No Legal Argument Against Polygamy.” Breitbart.com contributor John Nolte criticized the Supreme Court's decision in a series of tweets, writing that same sex marriage “only emboldens gaystapo ... to target your church.” Nolte also wrote that the “Big Gay Hate Machine is coming for your church next” and that marriage equality leave “no legal argument against polygamy.”

SCOTUS ruling settles nothing.... Only emboldens Gaystapo to target what the target has always been -- your church.

-- John Nolte (@NolteNC) June 26, 2015

Big Gay Hate Machine is coming for your church next.

-- John Nolte (@NolteNC) June 26, 2015

There is absolutely no legal argument against polygamy now. https://t.co/bvVszbkelB

-- John Nolte (@NolteNC) June 26, 2015

[Twitter.com, 6/26/15, 6/26/15, 6/26/15]

Fox's Starnes: “If You Think The Cultural Purge Over Southern Traditions Was Egregious -- Wait Until You See What They Do To Christians In America.” Fox News contributor Todd Starnes likened the Supreme Court's decision to thepersecution of Christians and tweeted “God: Marriage is one man, one woman. SCOTUS: Marriage is anything goes”:

God: Marriage is one man, one woman. SCOTUS: Marriage is anything goes.

-- toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) June 26, 2015

[Facebook, 6/26/15; Twitter, 6/26/15]

The Blaze's Dana Loesch: “Nothing Says Freedom Like Petitioning The Federal Government To Validate Private Relationships.” The Blaze host Dana Loesch responded to the decision by tweeting that “Nothing says freedom like petitioning the federal government to validate private relationships.”  

Nothing says freedom like petitioning the federal government to validate private relationships.

-- Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) June 26, 2015

[Twitter.com, 6/26/15]

Breitbart's Ben Shapiro: “SCOTUS Should Just Declare A Constitutional Right To Whatever The Hell They Feel Like That Day.” Breitbart.com editor-at-large Ben Shapiro tweeted, “Let's just skip all the suspense: SCOTUS should just declare a Constitutional right to whatever the hell they feel like that day,” later adding, “if 5 unelected people think 330 million people must accept same sex marriage because they say so, I mean, come on, stop h8ing!” Shapiro also noted, “Same sex marriage will never affect you. By 'you,' of course, we don't mean your business, church, school, or raising of your children.”

Let's just skip all the suspense: SCOTUS should just declare a Constitutional right to whatever the hell they feel like that day.

-- Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 26, 2015

Obviously if 5 unelected people think 330 million people must accept same sex marriage because they say so, I mean, come on, stop h8ing!

-- Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 26, 2015

Same sex marriage will never affect you. By “you,” of course, we don't mean your business, church, school, or raising of your children.

-- Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 26, 2015

[Twitter.com, 6/26/15, 6/26/15, 6/26/15]

Mark Levin: “The Supreme Court Is Officially Nuts.” Radio host Mark Levin claimed that the decision proves the Supreme Court is “officially nuts” and a “runaway oligarchy using the Constitution to enshrine the left's agenda.”

The Supreme Court is officially nuts. A runaway oligarchy using the Constitution to enshrine the left's agenda.... http://t.co/599H8PJ3To

-- Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) June 26, 2015

[Twitter.com, 6/26/15]

Powerline's John Hinderaker: “We Do Not Live In A Democracy.” Conservative blogger John Hinderaker reacted to the decision by writing: “Today's gay marriage decision tells us we do not live in a democracy. These are dark days.” [Powerline, 6/26/15]

Fox's Stuart Varney Suggests Decision Could Lead To Polygamy: “It's Almost Open Season On Who Marries Who.” During the June 26 edition of Fox Business' Varney & Co, host Stuart Varney suggested that the court's decision could open the door for legal polygamy, asking if “it'salmost open season on who marries who.” [Fox Business, Varney & Co, 6/26/15]

Fox's Erick Erickson: Ruling “Has Much To Do With The Semblance Of Normalcy. Those Who See Homosexuality As A Sin Must, Necessarily, Be Driven From The Town Square.” Fox News contributor Erick Erickson wrote in an email to his supporters that Americans “would be made to care about this” because the ruling has “much to do with the semblance of normalcy.” Erickson also wrote in a blog post that the “gay rights movement has been mercilessly harassing Christian business owners... you can expect the left to be ruthless”:

Republicans can now, however move to more favorable political ground since the Supreme Court has taken this issue off the political table. Most Americans recognize that there must be religious protections in place for people of faith.

The gay rights movement has been mercilessly harassing Christian business owners, driving them from jobs, etc. States and the federal government should protect those business owners.

Make no mistake -- this is not the end of a march, but the beginning of a new march. You will be made to care. You will be forced to pick a side. Should you pick the side of traditional marriage, you can expect left to be ruthless. After all, the Supreme Court has said gay marriage is a not just a right, but a fundamental right. [Erick On The Radio, 6/26/15]

Rush Limbaugh: Marriage Equality Decision Shows A “Culture That Is Under Assault” And “Deteriorating Rapidly.” During his radio program, Limbaugh said that the decision shows “we're dealing with a culture that is under assault and is deteriorating rapidly.” He added, “the truth is that all this transcends the Constitution. I think there is a spiritual war going on where truth is no longer truth. There is no objective truth. Everything is relative now, particularly morally. Words have no meaning. Words can be whatever the most forceful group of people wants them to mean.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 6/26/15]

*This item has been updated with additional reaction after posting.