THIS IS A CBS NEWS SPECIAL
REPORT.
I'M CHARLIE ROSE IN NEW YORK.
A SUPREME COURT RULING ANNOUNCED
MINUTES AGO EXTENDS SAME SEX
MARRIAGE IN AMERICA.
THE JUSTICES RULE 5-4 THAT STATE
DOSS NOT HAVE -- STATES DO NOT
HAVE THE LAW TO OUTLAW.
THIS IS A HISTORIC DAY.
JAN IS OUTSIDE AND HAS A COPY OF
THE DECISION.
YOU CANNOT IMAGINE THE ROAR OF
THE COURT WHEN THE DECISION WAS
ANNOUNCED.
THIS CROWD HAS BEEN WAITING FOR
AND THIS NATION HAS BEEN WAITING
FOR THIS.
5-4 DECISION BY ANTHONY KENNEDY
AND JOINED BY FOUR LIBERAL
JUSTICES, SUPREME COURT
CONFIRMED SAME SEX MARRIAGE IS
LAW OF THE LAND.
IT'S A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT FOR
KBRFOR
GAY AND LESBIANS TO MARRY.
ALL 50 STATES MUST RECOGNIZE AND
PERFORM SAME SEX MARRIAGES.
THE CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES HAVE
EACH WRITTEN SEPARATE OPINIONS.
THIS IS NO SURPRISE WITH JUSTICE
ANTHONY KENNEDY, ALSO A
CONSERVATIVE, WRITING THIS
OPINION.
WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER IT IN THE
NEXT HOUR TO COME.
I CAN SHOW YOU THE PASSIONATE
RESPONSES FROM THE CONSERVATIVES
AND ASSURE A PASSIONATE OPINION
FROM JUSTICE KENNEDY.
HE SEES THIS AS HIS ISSUE GOING
BACK TO 2003.
HE'S BEEN THE PIVOTAL VOICE ON
THIS COURT FOR GAY RIGHTS.
TODAY HE DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
SAME SEX MARRIAGE, HE WROTE,
MUST BE ALLOWED UNDER THE UNITED
STATES CONSTITUTION.
JAN, AS YOU WERE SAYING, THIS
IS WHERE JUSTICE KENNEDY WAS
EXPECTED TO GO.
IT'S SIGNIFICANT HE GAVE THE 5-4
MAJORITY.
THAT'S TRUE.
YOU NEVER KNOW WITH JUSTICE
KENNEDY.
ON THE ISSUE OF GAY RIGHTS HE'S
ALSO SEEN IT AS ONE IT WAS CAN
DEMEANOR -- WAS DEMEANING FOR
GAYS AND LESBIANS TO BE TREATED
DIFFERENT.
THERE WAS SOME QUESTION, WOULD
HE GO THIS FAR?
MOST BELIEVED AND IT WAS PROVEN
TODAY JUSTICE KENNEDY WOULD
CONTINUE THE PATH HE STARTED IN
2003.
I WAS IN THE COURTROOM BACK THEN
WHEN HE RULED GAYS AND LESBIANS
COULD NOT BE PROSECUTED FOR CON
SENSUAL SEX THAT AIR THEIR BEDR.
PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WERE LEAPING
AT SUCH A HISTORIC RULING THEN.
THIS IS THE EXPLANATION POINT,
FINAL POINT FOR THIS NATION.
SAME SEX MARRIAGE IS THE LAW OF
THE LAND.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF PEOPLE
IN AMERICA.
37 STATES RECOGNIZE SAME SEX
MARRIAGE.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR PEOPLE IN
THE OTHER 13 STATES?
WHEN THIS DECISION IS
IMPLEMENTED, THOOIEY'LL BE ALLOD
TO MARRY.
IN STATES WHERE THEY SAID YOU
WON'T BE ABLE TO MARRY.
THAT DOESN'T MATTER.
WHAT MATTERS IS THE
CONSTITUTION.
THE CONSTITUTION SAYS GAY AND
LESBIAN BE TREATED EQUALLY.
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO MARRY.
THAT MEANS EVERY STATE, GAYS AND
LESBIANS WILL BE ALLOWED TO
MARRY LIKE HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES.
THE FOUR CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES
HAVE ALWAYS EMPHASIZED STATES
SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE
DECISIONS.
SUCH A LAND MARK RULING.
YOU ANSWERED IT.
I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE
DECISION SAID.
WHAT WAS THE OVERWHELMING
ARGUMENT?
THIS WAS SHOVED IN OUR HANDS
WITHIN MINUTES OF SET ISSING.
THIS IS A STATE ISSUE.
THEY'VE EACH WRITTEN SEPARATELY
TO MAKE THEIR POINTS.
THERE WILL BE MUCH TO DIGEST IN
THIS RULING.
THIS DEBATE IS GOING TO CONTINUE
TO IN AMERICA.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE PUBLIC
OPINION, IT'S SHIFTED
DRAMATICALLY ON THE ISSUE OF GAY
MARRIAGE.
IN SOME WAYS THE COURT IS
TRACKING ALONG WITH THAT PUBLIC
OPINION.
WHILE YES, THIS IS GOING TO
REMAIN DEEPLY DEVICIVE ISSUE OF
THIS SUPREME COURT BUT THE
NATION, POLLS SHOW PUBLIC
OPINION IS CHANGING RAPIDLY.
JAN, ON THE LINE, THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS.
IT PUT THIS IS DECISION, I
ASSUME, UP ALONG WITH BROWN
VERSUS EDUCATION CAN AND OTHER
PLACES THAT HAVE HAD PROFOUND
IMPACT ON PEOPLE IN AMERICA.
CHARLIE, MANY HAVE SAID THIS
IS THE CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE OF OUR
TIME.
THAT IS THE WAY GAY RIGHTS
ADVOCATES ARE GOING TO BE SEEING
IT AND CHARACTERIZING IT.
I CAN'T TELL YOU -- I DON'T KNOW
HOW LOUD THIS NOISE IS COMING
THROUGH ON THE MICROPHONE BUT
IT'S EUPHORIC.
THE MOOD IS THIS.
THEY BELIEVE IT'S UNFAIR TO
TREAT THEM UNLIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
THAT'S WHAT JUSTICE KENNEDY
EMBRACED IN THIS RULING TODAY.
GAYS AND LESBIANS CANNOT BE
TREATED DIFFERENTLY WHEN IT
COMES TO MARRIAGE.
THERE WILL BE A LOT TO DIGEST
AND HOW BROADLY THIS RULING CAN
BE APPLIED.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR OTHER
FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION, IN THE
WORK PLACE.
THAT WILL CONTINUE.
A LANDMARK RULING ON SAME SEX
MARRIAGE.
A FIGHT THAT'S REWARDED TODAY
WITH A VICTORY 5-4 WITH JUSTICE
KENNEDY WRITING IT.
HISTORIC INDEED.
WE'RE EXPECTING TO HEAR FROM
PRESIDENT OBAMA AFTER THIS
DECISION.
BILL PLANT IS AT THE WHITE
HOUSE.
BILL?
THEY'RE JUST AS EUPHORIC HERE
BUT PROBABLY LOWER KEY.
SAW THE PICTURES YESTERDAY AT
THE CELEBRATION IN THE OVAL
OFFICE WHEN THE AFFORDABLE
HEALTH CARE ACT WAS AFFIRMED.
I'M SURE WE'LL SEE THAT TODAY.
THE WHITE HOUSE WAS MORE
CONCERNED ABOUT HEALTH CARE THAN
THEY WERE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR
CASE.
THEY BELIEVED THAT JUSTICE
KENNEDY WHO HAD A STRONG RECORD
OF BEING IN FAVOR OF GAY RIGHTS
WOULD PROBABLY PROVIDE THE SWING
VOTE IN THIS 5-4 DECISION.
THEY WEREN'T SO SURE ABOUT THE
HEALTH CARE VOTE YESTERDAY WITH
THE 6-3 VICTORY.
THIS IS A STRING OF VICTORIES
FOR THE WHITE HOUSE, SOMETHING
THE PRESIDENT CAN ADD TO HIS
RESUME, TO HIS LIST OF
ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
WE KNOW WE WILL HEAR FROM HIM
LATER TODAY.
WE'RE NOT SURE EXACTLY WHEN.
BILL PLANTE FROM WASHINGTON.
VOTE WAS 5-4.
YOU KNOW THIS IS LANDMARK
DECISION.
JAN, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT,
HOW IT BROKE DOWN?
JUSTICE KENNEDY IN THE
MAJORITY DECISION JOINED BY FOUR
LIBERAL JUSTICES, JUST SOME OF
THE LANGUAGE IN HERE IS SO
AFFIRMING AND POWERFUL FOR GAY
AND LESBIAN COUPLES.
HE'S ALMOST SAYING TO THEM, I
GET IT.
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE FEELING AND
THE CONSTITUTION DOES NOT ALLOW
YOU TO BE INCLUDED.
I'M GOING TO READ YOU THIS ONE
PASS A
PASSAGE.
THEY SEEK FULFILLMENT FOR
THEMSELVES.
THEIR HOPE IS NOT TO BE
CONDEMNED TO LIVE IN LONELINESS,
EXCLUDED FROM CIVILIZATION'S
OLDEST INSTITUTIONS.
THEY ASK FOR EQUAL DIGNITY IN
THE EYES OF THE LAW.
THE CONSTITUTION GRANTS THEM
THAT RIGHT.
I THINK THAT KIND OF POWERFUL
LANGUAGE GOING FURTHER IN SOME
WAYS.
THIS IS WHAT GAYS AND LESBIANS
HOPED FOR AND WANT HAD THE HE
CANNOT BE EXCLUDED, THAT THEY
BELONG AND CAN PARTICIPATE IN
THIS INSTITUTION LIKE EVERYONE
ELSE.
ONE GIST TWEETED GAY MARRIAGE
CAN NOW OFFICIALLY BE CALLED
MARRIAGE EVERYBODY.
YOU CAN TELL BY THE CROWD THEY
FEEL THAT AWAY TOO.
EXACTLY.
GOOD POINT.
IT'S JUST MARRIAGE.
LET ME ASK YOU JAN.
I UNDERSTAND OF THE FOUR
JUSTICES THAT DESCENDED, EACH OF
THEM WROTE ONE.
TALK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
THAT.
THAT IS CORRECT.
SOMETIMES YOU SEE -- WE'RE
GETTING THROUGH CHIEF JUSTICE,
JUSTICE SOLITO HAVE WRITTEN.
THIS WAS A COMPLEX CASE.
THE ISSUE MAY BE SIMPLE.
THERE'S WAYS THE COURT COULD
HAVE RESOLVED IT ON
CONSTITUTIONAL GROUNDS.
THEY'RE GOING TO EXPLAIN THEIR
OWN VIEWPOINT.
THEY MAY ALL COME DOWN IN
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAYS WHY
THEY'RE SAYING THE COURT IS
WRONG.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY'RE
THE DESCENSCEDESCENDERS.
LET ME GIVE YOU THIS EXAMPLE.
HERE'S A PASSAGE FROM JUSTICE
OLITO, VERY CONSERVATIVE.
THIS IS HOW HE CASTS THIS.
IN TODAY'S DECISION, YOU ASSERT
THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT OF THE
PEOPLE TO DECIDE WHETHER TO KEEP
OR ALTER THE TRADITIONAL
UNDERSTANDING OF MARRIAGE.
THAT'S HOW YOU HEAR FROM THE
CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES THAT THIS
SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT TO PEOPLE
TO DECIDE.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT -- THIS IS
A POINT JOHN ROBERTS MADE --
PEOPLE ARE DECIDING IN FAVOR OF
SAME SEX MARRIAGE.
WHY NOT LET THIS POLITICAL
DEBATE PLAY OUT INSTEAD OF
LETTING THE COURTS SAY THIS IS
HOW IT HAS TO BE?
37 STATES ALREADY ALLOW IT.
LET THIS CONTINUE TO PLAY OUT,
AND LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE.
THE SUPREME COURT TODAY SAID
THAT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
THE RULING AND AFFIRMING FOR THE
RIGHT TO BE FULL PARTICIPANTS IN
OUR INSTITUTIONS IS GOING TO BE
A VERY POWERFUL STATEMENT NOT
ONLY HOLDINGS BUT WORDS IN THIS
DECISION.
ALL RIGHT JAN CRAWFORD, THANK
YOU.
I KNOW NANCY IS ON CAPITOL HILL
AND HAS REACTION FROM SOME OF
THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES.
THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE IN
THE CAMPAIGN, IS IT NOT, NANCY?
Reporter: IT ABSOLUTELY IS
NORAH.
WE'VE HEARD FROM THE CANDIDATE
HILLARY CLINTON WHO TWEETED
PROUD TO CELEBRATE HISTORIC
VICTORY FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WELL YOU CAN
SEE THIS, BUT SHE TWEETED A
SECOND TIME WITH THE WORD
HISTORY IN RAINBOW LETTERING.
THIS IS SOMETHING SHE AND OTHER
DEMOCRATS ARE CELEBRATING.
MARTIN O'MALLEY TWEETING, THE
FORMER GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND,
RUNNING OF PRESIDENT.
TODAY THE SUPREME COURT AFFIRMED
MARRIAGE IS A HUMAN RIGHT NOT A
STATE RIGHT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVEN
REPUBLICANS SAW COMING.
THEY SAW WHICH WAY THE WINDS
WERE BLOWING WHEN IT CAME TO
PUBLIC OPINION.
THIS HAD BECOME AN INCREASINGLY
TRICKY ISSUE.
THEY HAD BEEN MUTED BECAUSE THEY
KNEW THE SUPREME COURT WAS
LIKELY TO TAKE THIS STEP.
MANY IN THE COUNTRY FELT THIS
WAS A RIGHT, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME THEY KNEW THEIR BASE FELT
DIFFERENTLY.
NANCY IS ON CAPITOL HILL.
A HISTORIC DAY IN AMERICA.
SUPREME COURT MAKING ALL
MARRIAGE EQUAL.
ALL MARRIAGE EQUAL UNDER THE
LAW.
THIS WAS ALREADY IN 37
STATES.
I LOVED THE TWEET, NOW GAY
MARRIAGE IS JUST MARRIAGE.
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