History in the Making: SCOTUS to Decide on Marriage Once and for All

Evan Wolfson: "What we hope will be the last chapter" of the freedom to marry movement

New York - January 16, 2015 - Following its decision last fall to effectively green light same-sex marriage in 11 states, the U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to hear six consolidated marriage cases out of Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, and Kentucky this term, with a ruling potentially by June. The Court's review will take place on a transformed legal landscape, with gay couples being able to marry in 36 states, covering two-thirds of the American people, and with nearly 60 federal and state courts having struck down discriminatory marriage bans in the past two years.

"The Supreme Court's decision today begins what we hope will be the last chapter in our campaign to win marriage nationwide - and it's time," said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry. "Freedom to Marry's national strategy has been to build a critical mass of marriage states and critical mass of support for ending marriage discrimination, and after a long journey and much debate, America is ready for the freedom to marry. But couples are still discriminated against in 14 states, and the patchwork of discrimination harms families and businesses throughout the country. We will keep working hard to underscore the urgency of the Supreme Court's bringing the country to national resolution, so that by June, all Americans share in the freedom to marry and our country stands on the right side of history."

Virtually every court up until this point, including the 4th, 7th, 9th, and 10th Circuits and a 59% majority of the American people, including Republicans under age 45, support the freedom to marry.

Briefs will now be filed on both sides, oral argument will be scheduled, and the Court will likely hand down a decision by this summer, potentially bringing an end to marriage discrimination in the United States.

Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.