Recently, there have been some big signs that the Supreme Court is about to legalize same-sex marriage for all. This week, one of the biggest yet came from a surprising source: a super-conservative Supreme Court Judge, who seemed to say that full marriage equality is a sure thing.
On Monday, The Supreme Court opted not to delay the legal introduction of same-sex marriage in Alabama. In a blistering dissent, Clarence Thomas criticized his fellow justices for “[looking] the other way” on the matter, writing, “This acquiescence may well be seen as a signal of the Court’s intended resolution of [the same-sex marriage] question... This is not the proper way to discharge our...responsibilities.”
The number of states where it’s now legal for same-sex couples to wed has almost doubled since October, skyrocketing from 19 to 37 after a Supreme Court ruling denied states’ attempts to keep marriage bans in place while they’re facing appeals.
Thomas wrote that he “would have shown the people of Alabama the respect they deserve and preserved the status quo while the court resolves this important constitutional question.”
Justice Antonin Scalia was the only other justice on board with Thomas. He said the court should opt to delay such weddings until the justices hear a landmark case in April concerning whether states can, indeed, ban same-sex unions. The Court is expected to rule on that by the end of June.
In addition to what Thomas’ remarks seem to imply about where the courts are headed on the marriage-equality front, what he wrote was notable for the way it seemed to openly bash his fellow justices’ inaction.
Within hours of the court’s ruling, same-sex marriages began happening in Alabama. Not everyone is interpreting Thomas’ comments as an indisputably positive sign for LGBTQ couples. But, we’re trying to stay optimistic that the tide is finally turning — and that soon, marrying the person you love will be a fundamental right for everyone in this country.
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