Another Big Step for Marriage Equality!

Do you love love? Well, then you're REALLY going to love this news: the United States Supreme Court agreed to decide whether all 50 states must allow gay and lesbian couples to marry before its current term ends in June! That means that the national debate over same-sex marriage might be resolved once and for all by the end of the summer.

Here's what USA Today reported: The justices will consider four cases from Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, consolidated and heard together. They will hear 2 1/2 hours of oral arguments in April and issue a ruling before the current term ends in late June.The new challenge to states' gay marriage bans is destined to become even more of a landmark than the two cases decided by the court in 2013 — United States v. Windsor, which forced the federal government to recognize gay marriages, and Hollingsworth v. Perry, which made California the 13th state to allow them.

Those rulings, while historic, did not resolve the threshold questions in the debate: whether gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry, or whether states have the right to ban the practice. This spring's case will answer those questions.'This is the beginning of the end game on the freedom to marry,' said James Esseks, who leads the effort for the American Civil Liberties Union.The justices will consider two questions — whether the 14th Amendment to the Constitution requires states to license marriages between same-sex couples, and whether it requires states to recognize such marriages when licensed by other states.

This is great news for marriage equality! Back in October, the courts delivered a tacit victory for gay rights, immediately expanding the number of states with same-sex marriage from 19 to 24, along with the District of Columbia. This nationwide ruling would mean big things for gay and lesbian couples in this country. Not only would they be able to wed wherever their hearts desire (not just where its' legal), they'd also be able to enjoy the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of married life that their heterosexual counterparts already enjoy. We can't wait to see one of the greatest civil rights questions of our time reach a resolution once and for all. To find out more about the cases that will be seen by the Supreme Court, go here.