Booker Statement on Supreme Court's Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Decision

Today, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges today:

"Fundamental questions of freedom and equality have been raised by every generation as we have marched onward as a country. Throughout our history, these questions were asked by Abolitionists, by Suffragettes, by Civil Rights activists, by gay rights pioneers -- by ordinary Americans with extraordinary courage and an abiding determination to move America forward.

"These questions are deeper than race, than gender, or sexual orientation. They are questions of whether our nation will live up to our ideals.

"One of the most essential questions of our time is whether Americans who love the person they choose will be viewed as equals by the government under the law. Jim Obergefell and James Arthur courageously posed this question when their legal journey began two years ago.

"Today, the Supreme Court has given its answer. Love wins."

In April, Sen. Booker delivered remarks on the Senate floor underscoring the importance of marriage equality and sharing the story of Jim Obergefell, the lead petitioner in Obergefell v. Hodges:

"Jim and John's story is moving, heartbreaking, inspiring, and unfortunately, all too common," Sen. Booker said during his remarks on the Senate floor. "Their story is about love conquering indifference and equality conquering inequality--but it is also about a larger question: whether our country will live up to the ideal of equality under the law it was founded under, or whether we will allow ourselves to be a land that denies some citizens fundamental rights while granting them to others, so, when we consider the rights of Jim Obergefell and John Arthur, we aren't just talking about "gay rights." We are talking about my rights. We are talking about your rights. We are talking about Constitutional rights. We are talking about human rights."

Source