The U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 Friday to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states.
The ruling was followed by pride celebrations across the country—with festivities in New York, San Francisco and Chicago drawing millions. Many saw the decision as a victory that resulted from generations of activism.
“Queer activism is such a broad topic covering so many different spectrums, and the fact that this is something that everyone rallied behind was a really beautiful thing,” said senior Tyler Nelson, president of the LGBTQ student group Blue Devils United.
The ruling will have its greatest impact in states in which same-sex marriage had been illegal—a list of states that does not include North Carolina, which made it legal in October 2014. But the ruling still impacts residents of North Carolina, albeit more indirectly, explained Christina Gibson-Davis, associate professor of public policy.
"The implications are huge in the 16 states where it’s not legal. On a practical level, [the ruling] expands the number of couples that can get married," she said. "On a symbolic level, it’s a huge decision because it basically makes no distinction between gay or straight marriage. That’s a significant difference from where we were."
Neil Siegel, David W. Ichel professor of law and professor of political science, noted that the decision was expected due to past precedents.
"The ruling faithfully applies and persuasively extends the due process and equal protection clauses of the Constitution, drawing on and extending precedents set by past rulings," he wrote in an email Friday. "The lawfulness of the decision is exceeded only by its decency."
More surprising has been the rapidity with which the public has embraced same-sex marriage, a trend Gibson-Davis described as part of a larger acceptance of diverse forms of family.
Despite the growing acceptance of same-sex marriage, Nelson noted that the same week of the Supreme Court ruling saw several "terrifying" examples of hate crimes and homophobic incidents.
"A wedding ring can’t really protect you from [these incidents], but what it can do is set a precedent that you won’t be lonely,” he said. “One of the most common sentiments for gay people and closeted people is loneliness.”
Acknowledging the importance of the ruling, Nelson said more work will need to be done to help LGBTQ students feel more comfortable at Duke. The University has taken steps over the years—most recently becoming one of the first schools in the nation to add an LGBTQ-inclusive question on its admissions supplement in 2014.
“At Duke, you find a lot of people who identify outside this norm of being straight," Nelson said. "Until everyone can really do that confidently and can really claim that without fear of rejection, isolation and embarrassment, activism work hasn’t been completed.”
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