POTUS on SCOTUS: ‘We’ve Made Our Union a Little More Perfect’ 

The historic 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges and three related cases makes same-sex marriage the law of the land in all 50 states.

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Reacting to Friday’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage, President Obama said, “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.”

The Hawaii-born president continued:

That’s the consequence of a decision from the Supreme Court, but, more importantly, it is a consequence of the countless small acts of courage of millions of people across decades who stood up, who came out, who 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.

“Love is love,” baby. Word.

You can read Obama’s full remarks here. And you can read the court’s decision here.

Meanwhile, Republican hopefuls trying to succeed the president are condemning the high court’s ruling.

Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, has called for a constitutional amendment to let states define marriage. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said the decision will “pave the way for an all out assault against the religious freedom rights of Christians who disagree with this decision.” And former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee vowed not to “acquiesce to an imperial court any more than our Founders acquiesced to an imperial British monarch.”

rainbow White House

The White House

As The Hill reports, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson “had the most tempered” responses: Bush said, “Guided by my faith, I believe in traditional marriage, I believe the Supreme Court should have allowed the states to make this decision.”

However, Bush added that he also believes “we should love our neighbor and respect others, including those making lifetime commitments.”

Here at home, here is what Equality Hawaii had to say about Friday’s news:

“We are thankful that two years ago Hawaii chose to be on the right side of history and recognize marriage equality for all of our citizens. We hope that the officials in the remaining 13 states which still have marriage discrimination laws quickly implement marriage equality in their states, insuring freedom and equality for all couples. Same-sex couples and their families have waited long enough for recognition, dignity, and acceptance.”

Equality Hawaii is inviting folks to Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand for a “Supreme Court’s Decision Day Party for Marriage Equality,” starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

And, state Rep. Chris Lee, a leader in the push for gay rights, had this to say: “Today we live up to the promise of equal rights that our Constitution guarantees every citizen. Our nation’s divide over marriage equality has come to a close, and we now truly are the United States.”

Finally, a sampling of reactions in the Twitterverse:

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