The equal protection of the law

“They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”

Yes. Yes it does.

“Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court declared Friday that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the United States, a historic culmination of two decades of litigation over gay marriage and gay rights generally.

Gay and lesbian couples already could marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The court’s 5-4 ruling means the remaining 14 states, in the South and Midwest, will have to stop enforcing their bans on same-sex marriage. …

The states affected by Friday’s ruling are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, most of Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.

Here’s the updated marriage map:

And here’s the giddy, joyous song that’s now playing in my head: