The tension is building as America awaits the Supreme Court's ruling about the constitutionality of same-sex marriage. Many legal experts believe that the high court will legalize same-sex marriage nationwide by finding that the Constitution guarantees equal treatment and that due process prohibits states from banning same-sex marriage.
Four of the liberal justices are expected to show their support for same-sex marriage, and Justice Anthony Kennedy, the conservative justice – the anticipated swing vote – has showed his support for gay rights in the past.
During oral arguments on April 28, Justice Kennedy asked tough questions of both sides, however, he stressed the dignity of gay couples.
The court will be issuing some rulings on Monday, and is expected to issue more later this week.
Outside of the court's walls, and across the country, gay rights advocates anxiously await the court's ruling. James Obergefell, who is one of the plaintiffs in the same-sex marriage case, says that he will be at the court every day for the rest of the decision days.
Obergefell filed a lawsuit against Ohio, challenging the state's ban on gay marriage after it refused to acknowledge his marriage to his late husband, John Arthur, on his death certificate. The couple were married in Maryland, one of the states that legalized same-sex marriage, within months of Arthur's death in 2013.
According to Newsweek, the Supreme Court does not provide advance notice of which rulings will be issued on which days.
During a June 12 speech, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hinted at the turmoil to come. She said that one could confidently predict that sharp divisions will rise in the term's final weeks.
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