TheCable

The United States supreme court finally legalised the right of gay couples in all states of the US to get married in a landmark judgement on Friday.

The victory for gays in the US was delivered after the supreme court judges voted five to four in favour of the plaintiff.

The case itself named Obergefell v. Hodges was initiated by an Ohio resident Jim Obergefell, who wanted to be listed as the surviving spouse on his husband’s death certificate. Obergefell married his partner of 20 years, John Arthur, on a medical jet in 2013, while Arthur was suffering from ALS. Arthur passed away in October of that year, three months after the couple filed their lawsuit.

Obergefell was then joined by many other gay plaintiffs in the legal battle both to be able to marry and to have their marriage recognized in every state in the country.

Barack Obama tweeted

Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins

— President Obama (@POTUS) June 26, 2015

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Previously only Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia already recognized marriage equality.