(Long Island, NY) Attorney General Eric Schneiderman praised today’s decision by U.S. Supreme Court that ensures equal protection under the law for all Americans by guaranteeing that same-sex couples have the right to marry across the nation.
“Today’s historic ruling has finally recognized the rights of same-sex couples to marry in all 50 states and stands on the side of dignity for all Americans. I am proud to have joined every individual who fought to secure equal rights and equal protection for all couples. Today, we celebrate a victory for justice.”
In March, the Attorney General joined a coalition of states in filing a friend of the court brief with the Supreme Court, arguing that the U.S. Constitution’s promise of equal protection demands that same-sex couples have the right to marry across the country. In 2013, Attorney General Schneiderman led a 16-state coalition in the filing of an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in U.S. v. Windsor, arguing against a key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. In that case, the Supreme Court ultimately struck down that statute’s federal definition of “marriage” as being between one man and one woman.
