I can't believe the justices and the attorneys in the fucking SCOTUS don't understand that GAY PPL ARE NOT ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO BE MARRIED. thanks to the First Amendment's protection of our right to assemble (i think), we are free to marry each other already. and we do. and we have been doing it in every state and territory since we started identifying ourselves based on our sexual orientation. we have formed committed relationships and exchanged vows and all of that. w/o a state issued license. the license only means various governments are recognizing the marriage. but the marriage exists w/ or w/o the license. GAY PPL DON'T NEED PERMISSION TO MARRY.

and the definition of 'marriage' is not at issue. SCOTUS can't define 'marriage' for anyone but it can order the various states to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. no person on the planet will have to personally recognize any marriage based on SCOTUS's ruling. society can reject the idea that same sex couples are married...even if the states and feds recognize. like today there are ppl and organizations (religious ones, mostly) that don't recognize second or subsequent marriages. there are ppl and organizations that don't recognize civil marriage (aka marriage not officiated by a minister). i'm talking about marriages between hetero couples...this already happens. so this case is NOT about changing the definition of 'marriage' for society.

the question is narrow - can the states deny issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples? will the various states that don't issue the licenses have to recognize licenses issued by other states?

those are the ONLY questions before the Court, IMO. i'm disappointed the lawyers and justices didn't do a better job getting to that.