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What is the legal basis for same-sex marriage in the United States? 


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Same-sex marriage in the United States is supported by the legal basis of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the right to privacy . The Equal Protection Clause provides a stable legal precedent for the existence of the right to same-sex marriage, as it prohibits the government from passing the rational basis test . The right to privacy is also argued to support same-sex marriage, although it is not as strong of a legal footing as the Equal Protection Clause . The courts have played a significant role in defining and legalizing same-sex marriage, with case law and litigation being used to develop the right . The legalization of same-sex marriage in various states, such as Massachusetts, New York, and California, has further demonstrated the importance of litigation in implementing social change .

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Open accessBook ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2015
91 Citations
The legal basis for same-sex marriage in the United States is the decision of the United States Supreme Court in United States v. Windsor in 2013.
The legal basis for same-sex marriage in the United States is argued to be either the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment or the right to privacy.
Reference EntryDOI
Ray Sin, Barbara J. Risman 
22 Mar 2016
7 Citations
The legal basis for same-sex marriage in the United States is the Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Windsor.

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