The Supreme Court tackles gay marriage this week. Here's what to watch for.

The Supreme Court is tackling gay marriage this week — (Image credit: AP/YouTube)

The line to watch Tuesday's oral arguments for and against gay marriage started forming outside the Supreme Court on Friday. The justices will decide two main issues: Should states be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and should they be required to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other U.S. jurisdictions? The court will preside over 90 minutes of arguments on the first question and an hour on the second.

If the justices seem skeptical about the first question, and ultimately side with the plaintiffs — there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, essentially — the second question won't matter much, explains Associated Press supreme court reporter Mark Sherman in this video preview. And the most important justice to watch is probably Anthony Kennedy, the conservative who has written the last three cases expanding gay rights. Sherman has a more detailed analysis below. —Peter Weber

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.