While the Supreme Court’s final decision on same-sex marriage will affect all fifty states, Tuesday’s oral arguments put advocates and opponents in Kentucky in the spotlight.
"People are jubilant outside the courtroom, but naturally there are some protesters here and they're pretty noisy," says Fairness Campaign director Chris Hartman, standing outside the high court. "It certainly feels historic out here. It's exciting to be here."
Hartman hopes the audience, made up mostly of same-sex marriage supporters, is indicative of where the country and the court are moving.
But opponents still see an opportunity for the tide to shift back. Kent Ostrander with the Family Foundation cites the ultimate failure of the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment guaranteeing equal rights for women, which appeared poised for success, passing both chambers of Congress before falling three states short in the ratification process.
"In the same way, the American people can be led or misled and get into a faddish drive to nowhere and my hope is that we need to examine this further," he says.
Though cautious about reading too much into justices’ questions, both Ostrander and Hartman found reason to be encouraged Tuesday. The court isn’t expected to rule before late June.
