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obergefell v hodges

'Couples can now plan the wedding that they want to plan — that feels true to them.'

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The Supreme Court ruling on June 26, 2015, changed our country forever.

Jennifer proposed to Allegra under the dome of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Photo courtesy of C. Wagner Photography and Design, used with permission.

Since Obergefell v. Hodges was decided last year, giving same-sex couples the constitutional right to marry across the country, thousands of LGBTQ couples have tied the knot.

And let's be real: The photographic evidence has been pretty spectacular.

Ann and Emily wanted a simple, small wedding, vacation included. So where did they go? Disney World, of course. This photo was taken at The Alfond Inn in Winter Park, Florida. Photo courtesy of Live Happy Studio, used with permission.

Nationwide marriage equality has had an enormous effect on couples everywhere.

Just ask leading wedding consultant Kathryn Hamm, the publisher of WeddingWire's GayWeddings.com. If anyone knows that to be true, it's her.

Alex met Stephen during a 48-hour free trial on a dating website. It turns out, sometimes the best things in life are free. Photo courtesy of Kristen Hammonds Photography, used with permission.

Kevin and Christopher met at the White House, where they both worked as military staff to the president. Photo courtesy of Jacquelyn Martin/The Lily Pad, used with permission.

"Couples can now plan the wedding that they want to plan — that feels true to them," Hamm explained to Upworthy.

That wasn't necessarily the case before June of 2015, and it makes all the difference.

Ashleigh said her wedding to Erika only had a few requirements — one was the color pink, and another was delicious food. Photo courtesy of Exclamation Imagery, used with permission.

They can, for instance, celebrate their love in their own community (if they want to).

Clearly, Bert and Dave's magical ceremony wouldn't be complete without their four-legged friend. Photo courtesy of Victoria Sprung Photography, used with permission.

"Couples are now overwhelming planning their ceremonies in their home states" because they aren't forced to travel somewhere where same-sex marriage is recognized like before, according to Hamm.

She cited new research finding 77% of newlywed same-sex partners fall into this category — up big time in recent years.

Nick's favorite part of his big day was simply seeing his soon-to-be husband, Joey, appear at the end of the aisle. Photo courtesy of Napoleoni Photography, used with permission.

There's been a sizable uptick in same-sex partners recognizing their marriages with a ceremony with guests, too.

Broader acceptance of people who are LGBTQ in recent years probably has something to do with it. Now more same-sex couples are opting in to a wedding bash as opposed to tying the knot without any hoopla.

Sarah proposed to Kathrin using a billboard in Times Square. (Yes, the bar has definitely been raised.) Photo courtesy of Sascha Reinking Photography, used with permission.

Fortunately, marriage equality has also meant that more LGBTQ couples feel supported by the important people in their lives.

"There’s less shame, confusion, and upset for parents of LGBTQ people," Hamm noted, claiming national legal recognition of same-sex marriage may be helping more parents in accepting various sexual orientations and gender identities.

Who knew you might run into the love of your life at a skating party for kids? That's how Ashley and Hunter met, and the rest is history. Photo courtesy of Moments That Matter Photography, used with permission.

Now, 60% of LGBTQ couples report having emotional support from their moms and dads on their big day.

That's up from 45% just two years ago.

Gabriel proposed to Pavanathe day Prop 8 was reversed in California. The two got married in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Boston. Photo courtesy of Thuy Pham Photography, used with permission.

But while LGBTQ weddings may be getting more mainstream, it's still vital we approach them differently, Hamm says.

"We’re seeing more similarities than ever between opposite-sex and same-sex weddings," she said. But "that’s not to say that same-sex weddings are just the same as opposite-sex weddings."

When Dinah and Malila discovered one another's love for West Coast rap andprotecting the environment, they knew they'd each found the one. Photo courtesy of Bethanie Hines Photography, used with permission.

Seeing as the wedding industry has largely been crafted around (outdated) gender norms — with the bride's dress having an even bigger role in the day than the groom, according to Hamm — vendors and wedding planners should educate themselves on how and why LGBTQ weddings may buck the traditional trends to be more inclusive.

Michael proposed to Lynn in London, but the two made it official under the autumn glow of Central Park in NYC. Photo courtesy of Sascha Reinking Photography, used with permission.

"My hope is that we are careful to nurture how [same-sex weddings can be] different," Hamm noted. "And then allow more opportunity for non-LGBTQ couples to recognize some of the value and opportunity around creating a custom, personalized ritual to celebrate your love and commitment."

This June and always, let's make sure to remember the historic decision that made America a whole lot greater than it was before.

Terry and Julia own a café in Oakland, California, that triples as a retail space, queer community center, and restaurant. Photo courtesy of Kat Ma Photography, used with permission.

As President Barack Obama said on June 26, 2015, "There’s so much more 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’ve made our union a little more perfect."

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Justice Scalia died. I still don't like him. And that's OK.

I didn't like Antonin Scalia.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

I never met him, but, boy, did I not like the guy.

I think most of his votes on the Supreme Court made the country worse.

I think too many of them made ordinary people's lives more difficult.

He said some pretty horrible things about gay people. In Lawrence v. Texas, the case that ruled sodomy laws unconstitutional, he made jokes about "flagpole sitting" during oral arguments.

In that case, he argued in his dissent that because "many Americans do not want persons who openly engage in homosexual conduct as partners in their business, as scoutmasters for their children, [and] as teachers in their children's schools," that was reason enough to keep Texas' sodomy ban intact.

He called the Voting Rights Act a "racial entitlement."

His dissent in Planned Parenthood v. Casey — the 1992 decision that affirmed a woman's right to chose — alludes to Nazism and slavery.

His last vote — in a lawsuit brought against the EPA by 29 states — made it more difficult for the United States to enforce regulations designed to combat climate change, one of the greatest existential threats to humanity in the 21st century.

Literally, the last act of his professional life was to make it harder to prevent global ecological catastrophe.

Like an actual supervillain.

Pretty much. Photo by J.J./Wikimedia Commons.

There are a lot of reasons not to like the guy.

And now he's dead.

I'm sad he's dead. He had a family, who must be reeling. He had friends, who are certainly devastated. His fellow justices liked and respected him. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, his ideological opponent in every way, was reportedly one of his closest friends.

I'm sad he's dead. And I think his professional legacy is a highly destructive one.

I'm sad he's dead. And I still don't like him.

There's no "but." It's just "and."

I think that's fine.

It's complicated, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

I can be angry at him for steering our society toward more racism, homophobia, and sexism without being happy he's dead.

I can be excited that someone new will replace him on the court without being happy he's dead.

Just because someone dies doesn't mean you have to stop disagreeing with them. And disagreeing with them doesn't mean you're glad they're not alive anymore. When public figures die, it's natural to want to assess their records. It's not too soon to criticize them.

It's more respectful to his legacy, honestly — to remember it clearly, the way he laid it down.

"It would be not much use to have a First Amendment, for example, if the freedom of speech included only what some future generation wanted it to include," he once said. He'd almost certainly support the right to call him out on his worst tendencies, even after death.

It wasn't all negative, of course. It never is.

Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images.

There were a couple of moments where he came down on the right side of history, mostly in favor of people's right to free expression.

He was a terrific writer, even if he frequently wrote odious things. He was funny.

"The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie," he wrote in a footnote to his stinging dissent in Obergefell v. Hodges, the case that finally made marriage equality the law of the land in 2015.

Unlike many political figures, he knew how to take a joke.

In my opinion, Scalia was a pretty terrible Supreme Court justice. But you know what? I don't think he'd really care how much I couldn't stand him. His opinion, when he was alive, counted way more than mine when it mattered.

He was a giant. He was a huge jerk. He was human.

Rest in peace.