Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

The Supreme Court of the United States legalized nationwide marriage equality in a 5-4 ruling on June 26, 2015.

On Friday, June 26, the Supreme Court set a new civil right in the United States by legalizing national marriage equality in a 5-4 vote, guaranteeing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.

This ruling, Obergefell v. Hodges, allows for marriage equality in all 50 states and territories. Prior to the landmark decision, 37 states provided their citizens the full freedom to marry. The other 13 – North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan – are now no longer able to  create state and constitutional laws or bans prohibiting same-sex marriage.

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family,” Justice Anthony K. Kennedy wrote for the majority in this decision. “In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.”

The decision was met with crowds of supporters standing outside the supreme court waving flags, dressed up, and holding balloons spelling out “love” in red. With the running of the interns to deliver the news, the crowd erupted into cheers.

Since then, various companies, such as Coke and American Airlines, have created graphics in response to the decision. Government Twitter pages – like The White House (@WhiteHouse) and First Lady Michelle Obama (@FLOTUS) – changed their avatars to reflect this moment in history. Snapchat also has filters for the occasion and a live “snap story” capturing people celebrating the ruling.

President Obama’s speech following the ruling expressed his support of the Supreme Court’s decision.

“We are big and vast and diverse: a nation of people with different backgrounds and beliefs, with different experiences and stories, but bound by our shared ideal that no matter who you are, or what you look like, how you started off, or how or who you love – America is place where you can write your own destiny,” the president stated.