Supreme Court Rules Same-Sex Marriage Legal Across America

The historic decision that affects millions of gay and lesbian couples was made Friday morning.

The U.S. Supreme Court has legalized same-sex marriage across the nation today in a landmark ruling.

The 5-4 decision was made Friday morning and makes it illegal to refuse marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples, according to NBC News. The ruling concludes:

“As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. ... Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right."

In the United States, 36 states, plus the District of Columbia, have recognized gay marriage. The others had passed laws banning marriage access to gay and lesbian couples.

The majority of the American public has supported same-sex marriage, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll.