U.S.

Highlights of the Supreme Court’s historic gay rights decision

The majority and four separate dissenting opinions contain powerful language about the institution of marriage

Ikeita Cantu, left, and her wife, Carmen Guzman, of McLean, Virginia, celebrate outside the Supreme Court, June 26, 2015, after the court declared same-sex couples have the right to marry everywhere in the U.S.
Jacquelyn Martin / AP

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a long-awaited decision on Friday, guaranteeing same-sex couples the right to marry. The victory for gay rights advocates is now enshrined in a landmark 5-4 ruling (PDF), for which Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, with four separate dissenting opinions expressing harsh and even emotional criticism of a resounding legal milestone culminating over 20 years of court battles.

Below are some of the most notable passages from Kennedy's opinion, in addition to excerpts from the dissents by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito:

Syllabus outlines legal logic

Majority opinion

Roberts’ dissent

Scalia’s dissent

Thomas’ dissent

Alito’s dissent

Full text of the decision

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