THIS LAND MARK MOMENT FROM THE
SUPREME COURT.
GOOD MORNING.
OUR NATION WAS FOUNDED ON A
BEDROCK PRINCIPLE.
THAT WE ARE ALL CREATED EQUAL.
THE PROJECT OF EACH GENERATION
IS TO BRIDGE THE MEANING OF
THOSE FOUNDING WORDS WITH THE
REALITIES OF CHANGING TIMES.
A NEVER-ENDING QUEST TO ENSURE
THOSE WORDS RING TRUE FOR EVERY
SINGLE AMERICAN.
PROGRESS ON THIS JOURNEY OFTEN
COMES IN SMALL INCREMENTS.
SOMETIMES TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE
STEP BACK.
PROPELLED BY THE PERSISTENT
EFFORT OF DEDICATED CITIZENS.
AND THEN SOMETIMES THERE ARE
DAYS LIKE THIS.
WHEN THAT SLOW STEADY EFFORT IS
REWARDED WITH JUSTICE THAT
ARRIVES LIKE A THUNDERBOLT.
THIS MORNING, THE SUPREME COURT
RECOGNIZED THAT THE CONSTITUTION
GUARANTEES MARRIAGE EQUALITY.
IN DOING SO THEY'RE REAFFIRMED
THAT ALL AMERICANS ARE ENTITLED
TO THE EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE
LAW.
THAT ALL PEOPLE SHOULD BE
TREATED EQUALLY.
REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY ARE OR
WHO THEY LOVE.
THIS DECISION WILL END THE
PATCHWORK SYSTEM WE CURRENTLY
HAVE.
IT WILL END THE UNCERTAINTY.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
SAME-SEX COUPLES FACE FROM NOT
KNOWING WHETHER THEIR MARRIAGE,
LEGITIMATE IN THE EYES OF ONE
STATE, WILL REMAIN IF THEY
DECIDE TO MOVE OR VISIT ANOTHER.
THIS RULING WILL STRENGTHEN ALL
OF OUR COMMUNITIES, BY OFFERING
TO ALL LOVING SAME-SEX COUPLES
THE DOING ANITY OF MARRIAGE
ACROSS THIS GREAT LAND.
IN MY SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS,
I SAID THAT IF WE ARE TRULY
CREATED EQUAL, SURELY THE LOVE
WE COMMIT TO ONE ANOTHER MUST BE
EQUAL AS WELL.
IT IS GRATIFYING TO SEE THAT
PRINCIPLE ENSHRINED INTO LAW BY
THIS DECISION.
THIS RULING IS A VICTORY FOR JIM
AND THE OTHER PLAINTIFFS IN THE
CASE.
IT'S A VICTORY FOR GAY AND
LESBIAN COUPLES WHO HAVE FOUGHT
FOR SO LONG FOR THEIR BASIC
CIVIL RIGHTS.
IT'S A VICTORY FOR THEIR
CHILDREN.
WHOSE FAMILIES WILL NOW BE
RECOGNIZED AS EQUAL TO ANY
OTHER.
IT'S A VICTORY FOR THE ALLIES
AND FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS WHO
SPENT YEARS, EVERYN DECADES,
WORKING AND PRAYING FOR CHANGE
TO COME.
AND THIS RULING IS A VICTORY FOR
AMERICA.
THIS DECISION AFFIRMS WHAT
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ALREADY
BELIEVE IN THEIR HEARTS.
THAT ALL AMERICANS ARE TREATED
AS EQUAL, WE ARE ALL MORE FREE.
MY ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN
GUIDED BY THAT IDEA.
THAT'S WHY WE STOPPED DEFENDING
THE SO-CALLED DEFENSE OF
MARRIAGE ACT.
WHY WE WERE PLEASED HEN THE
COURT FINALLY STRUCK DOWN THE
CENTRAL PROVISION OF THAT
DISCRIMINATORY LAW.
IT'S WHY WE ENDED DON'T ASK,
DON'T TELL.
FROM EXTENDING FULL MARITAL
RIGHTS TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, AND
RIGHTS FOR LGBT AMERICANS.
WE HAVE MADE ADVANCES IN WAYS
NOT TOO IMAGINABLE NOT LONG AGO.
I KNOW CHANGE FOR MANY OF OUR
LGBT BROTHERS AND SISTERS MUST
HAVE SEEMED SO SLOW FOR SO LONG.
COMPARED TO SO MANY OTHER
ISSUES, AMERICA'S SHIFT HAS BEEN
SO QUICK.
I KNOW THAT AMERICANS OF
GOODWILL CONTINUE THE HOLD A
WIDE RANGE OF VIEWS ON THIS
ISSUE.
OPPOSITION IN SOME CASES HAS
BEEN BASED ON SINCERE AND DEEPLY
HELD BELIEFS.
ALL OF US WHO WELCOME TODAY'S
NEWS SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF THAT
FACT.
RECOGNIZE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS.
REVERE OUR DEEP COMMITMENT TO
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
BUT TODAY SHOULD ALSO GIVE US
HOPE THAT ON THE MANY ISSUES ON
WHICH WE GRAPPLE, OFTEN
PAINFULLY, REAL CHANGE IS
POSSIBLE.
SHIFTS IN HEARTS AND MINDS IS
POSSIBLE.
AND THOSE WHO HAVE COME SO FAR
ON THEIR JOURNEY TO EQUALITY HAS
A RESPONSIBILITY TO REACH BACK
AND HELP OTHERS JOIN THEM.
BECAUSE FOR ALL OUR DIFFERENCES,
WE ARE ONE PEOPLE.
STRONGER TOGETHER THAN WE COULD
EVER BE ALONE.
THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN OUR STORY.
WE ARE BIG AND VAST AND DIVERSE.
A NATION OF PEOPLE WITH
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND
BELIEFS, DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES
AND STORIES.
BUT BOUND BY OUR SHARED IDEAL
THAT NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR
WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE, HOW YOU
STARTED OFF OR HOW -- AND WHO
YOU LOVE -- AMERICA'S PLACE
WHERE YOU CAN WRITE YOUR OWN
DESTINY.
WE ARE A PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT
EVERY SINGLE CHILD IS ENTITLED
TO LIFE AND LIBERTY AND THE
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
THERE IS SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE
TO EXTEND THE FULL PROMISE OF
AMERICA TO EVERY AMERICAN.
BUT TODAY, WE CAN SAY, IN NO
UNCERTAIN TERMS, THAT WE HAVE
MADE OUR UNION A LITTLE MORE
PERFECT.
THAT'S THE CONSEQUENCE OF A
DECISION FROM THE SUPREME COURT
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S A
CONSEQUENCE OF THE COUNTLESS
SMALL ACTS OF COURAGE THAT
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS
DECADES WHO STOOD UP.
WHO CAME OUT.
TALKED TO PARENTS.
PARENTS WHO LOVED THEIR
CHILDREN, NO MATTER WHAT.
FOLKS WHO WERE WILLING TO ENDURE
BULLYING.
AND TAUNTS.
AND STAYED STRONG.
AND CAME TO BELIEVE IN
THEMSELVES AND WHO THEY WERE.
AND SLOWLY MADE AN ENTIRE
COUNTRY REALIZE THAT LOVE IS
LOVE.
WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY
ACHIEVEMENT.
WHAT A VINDICATION OF THE BELIEF
THAT ORDINARY PEOPLE CAN DO
EXTRAORDINARY THINGS.
WHAT A REMINDER OF WHAT BOBBY
KENNEDY ONCE SAID ABOUT HOW
SMALL ACTIONS CAN BE LIKE
PEBBLES BEING THROWN INTO A
STILL LAKE.
AND RIPPLES OF HOPE.
CASCADE OUTWARDS.
AND CHANGE THE WORLD.
THOSE COUNT LLESS -- OFTEN
ANONYMOUS HEROES, THEY DESERVE
OUR THANKS.
THEY SHOULD BE VERY PROUD.