The Court ruled 5-to-4, with Justices John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting. All four dissenting Justices wrote their own separate dissents.
Roberts, the Court's Chief Justice, wrote the principal dissent,
"If you are among the many Americans--of whatever sexual orientation--who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today's decision. Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal. Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not Celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it," Roberts said.
In his dissent, Scalia said the ruling is a "threat to American democracy," adding that "Hubris is sometimes defined as o'erweening pride; and pride, we know, goeth before a fall ... With each decision of ours that takes from the People a question properly left to them—with each decision that is unabashedly not based on law, but on the 'reasoned judgment' of a bare majority of this Court—we move one step closer of our impotence."
Justice Anthony Kennedy, thought to be the swing vote on the ruling, authored the opinion.
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