A statement from BASF’s LGBT Issues Committee Chairs Peter Catalanotti and Robert Gower:

On June 26, the United States Supreme Court handed down its landmark opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges and related cases, providing a definitive and affirmative answer to the question of whether the federal Constitution protects the rights of same-sex couples to marry. The opinion, authored by Kennedy, in which Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan, joined, found all state laws banning same sex marriage to be unconstitutional:

These considerations lead to the conclusion that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of the person, and under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment couples of the same-sex may not be deprived of that right and that liberty. The Court now holds that same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry. No longer may this liberty be denied to them.

This decision is a huge achievement for the LGBT community nationwide, and marks one of the most significant equal rights decisions of the Supreme Court in decades. The impact of the Supreme Court’s opinion will be felt far and wide, strengthening the bond of same-sex families, knocking down discriminatory laws prohibiting same-sex marriage, and helping usher in a new era of equality for LGBT Americans.

BASF applauds the Supreme Court’s ruling and appreciates the countless sacrifices made by the Bay Area legal community and beyond that culminated in today’s opinion. BASF has long championed equality for LGBT Americans and recognizes today’s ruling as a monumental step forward.

Although there is still work to be done, today is a day of celebration for the legal community, the LGBT community, and equality across the United States. BASF is proud of today’s achievements, and will continue to champion the fight for equality for all Americans.