Law caught up with hearts

On Friday the law of the land caught up with hearts, minds and reality on same-sex marriage, in a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on civil rights that removes all doubt about the changing, expanding definition of the American “family.”

In places such as Sedgwick County, which in November became one of the state’s first counties to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the 5-4 ruling makes formal and final the truth that many who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender are in committed relationships. Their love did not need Supreme Court endorsement to be genuine. But the ruling ensures them the precious ability to marry lawfully and the other legal rights and privileges enjoyed by married couples.

Unfortunately, the blessing of the Supreme Court is unlikely to assure full equality in Kansas, which is not among states that prohibit discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In February, Gov. Sam Brownback even rolled back a Sebelius-era protection for LGBT state employees, leaving what he called “such expansion of ‘protected classes’” up to an uninterested Legislature. But any resistance to granting full legal rights to same-sex married couples must end, in state government and otherwise.

Those who oppose same-sex marriage on religious grounds are unhappy, to say the least.

But, as 70 percent of Kansans acknowledged in a poll last fall, newly treating marriage for same-sex couples as a fundamental constitutional right is unlikely to harm or even affect traditional marriages.

What it will do is foster more of the “love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family” mentioned in Justice Anthony Kennedy’s opinion, and to society’s benefit.

For the editorial board, Rhonda Holman

This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Law caught up with hearts."