Congressman Garamendi Celebrates Marriage Equality Decision, Says March Toward Justice for All Continues

WALNUT GROVE, CA - Today the U.S. Supreme Court, in Obergefell v. Hodges, ruled that bans on marriage equality violate the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. Today’s ruling extends marriage equality to all 50 states. Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, CA), a longtime supporter of equal rights for the LGBT community, today thanked the Supreme Court for its decision. He issued the following statement:

“Today, the arc of history bent further toward justice. We are a country that embraces the ideal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for everyone. With today's Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing the right to marry for LGBT couples, we came even closer to making that ideal a reality.

“This decision is a reminder that we should come together as a nation in support of civil rights for all. LGBT Americans and their allies are joyously celebrating today’s landmark decision, as they should. On this same day, in Charleston, South Carolina, Reverend Clementa Pinckney, a martyr to the civil rights struggle, is being laid to rest. He was one of nine African Americans robbed of life in an act of white supremacist terrorism.

“Our work to build a more perfect union never ends. Marriage equality is now the law of the land, yet there are no federal safeguards protecting LGBT Americans against employment and housing discrimination. The same Supreme Court that ruled today in favor of marriage equality two years ago gutted the Voting Rights Act, and to this day, Congress has failed in its duty to restore vital voting rights protections. Rights can be won, and rights can be lost.

“We’ve helped create a fairer and more just society today, but new and longstanding civil rights struggles are on the horizon. I’m prepared to wage those battles too, because I want my grandchildren to see progress in their time. I want them to believe as I do that America’s best days are still to come.”