AP WAS THERE: Supreme Court gives same-sex marriage rights

By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to marry. The narrow, 5-4, decision did away with same-sex marriage bans in 14 states. However the Supreme Court’s June decision that overturned the federal right to an abortion included a concurring opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas that suggested same-sex marriage could also come under threat. Such concerns led to the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects same-sex and interracial marriages. With that act’s passage, The Associated Press is republishing its 2015 story by reporter Mark Sherman on the Supreme Court’s same-sex ruling.