Both the federal and state courts have made large advancements towards equal marriage rights for the LGBT community.

On Oct. 6, the Supreme Court denied the appeals of five states to maintain bans on gay marriage.  Although it may seem that the Supreme Court is simply avoiding the hot topic of gay marriage, this decision is monumental.  According to an article posted on the site gaymarriage.procon.org, the count of states allowing gay marriage increased from 20 to 26 in the last two weeks alone.

The road to equal marriage rights throughout the United States is still a long one. There are still twenty-four states that have direct bans on gay marriage.  In a country where everyone is supposed to be created equal, such a statistic is shocking.  These state bans violate the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution and its clauses for due process and equal protection.

It was from this legal standpoint that multiple Florida judges overturned the State marriage ban. This was the first legal action towards legalizing gay marriage in Florida. The Florida State Court, as advised by attorney general Pam Bondi, will not hear these appeals until there is a Supreme Court decision.

According to a recent poll from the Washington Post, 59% of people support gay marriage whereas 34% oppose it.  President Obama has voiced his support and of the 24 states with bans of gay marriage, six of them are questioning these bans. Supporters around the nation are watching with crossed fingers, as crucial decisions towards human rights continue.

By Katherine Cohen