News & Commentary

It has been a heart-wrenching month for Vermont’s transgender community and allies.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that marriage is a fundamental right and must be made available equally to straight and gay couples. The majority opinion was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who said: "It is now clear that the challenged laws burden the liberty of same-sex couples, and it must be further acknowledged that they abridge central precepts of equality . . . Especially against a long history of disapproval of their relationships, this denial to same-sex couples of the right to marry works a grave and continuing harm. The imposition of this disability on gays and lesbians serves to disrespect and subordinate them. And the Equal Protection Clause, like the Due Process Clause, prohibits this unjustified infringement of the fundamental right to marry."

The Supreme Court of the United States has denied review in all of the marriage equality cases pending before it. As a result of the court's action, same-sex couples in Virginia, Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Utah will now be able to marry the partners they love. Today's orders also mean that same-sex marriage will soon become lawful in at least 30 states.

A Vermont inn will pay a fine of $10,000 and will place $20,000 in a charitable trust as part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought by a lesbian couple who were told the inn wouldn't host their wedding reception because they were gay.