Supreme Court orders same-sex marriage to begin in Alabama

An activist waves a marriage pride flag in front of the Supreme Court.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Alabama's attempt to block same-sex marriages from beginning in the state. Hours earlier, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore ordered clerks in the state to defy a federal ruling and refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The Supreme Court's 7-2 ruling — Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented — makes Alabama the 37th state where same-sex couples can legally wed. The high court will in April hear arguments in a case that could make gay marriage legal in every state.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.