Obergefell v. Hodges addressed what landmark issue?

• A. Legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
• B. Prohibited same-sex marriage nationwide.
• C. Left the question to the states with no federal standard.
• D. Required federal funding for marriage ceremonies.

Answer: (A)

Obergefell v. Hodges established that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, and that all states must license and recognize marriages between same-sex couples nationwide. The Court tied this right to the Fourteenth Amendment, invoking both due process (liberty to marry) and equal protection (treatment of marriage equally for all couples). As a result, state bans on same-sex marriage were struck down, and the federal standard requires nationwide recognition of these marriages. This ruling is not about prohibiting same-sex marriage, nor about leaving the question to states with no federal standard, nor about federal funding for ceremonies. It definitively anchors marriage equality in constitutional rights across the country.