Did Supreme Court essentially just legalize gay marriage everywhere?

This is not a Supreme Court ruling, merely a decision to not make a ruling (which leaves the ruling of the lower appeals court intact; those rulings said that bans on gay marriage are unconstitutional). The immediate effect is only 5 states (actually maybe 11 states). However, what this seems to imply is that any ruling by an appeals court that a ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional will not be reversed by the Supreme Court. In effect, the Supreme Court is taking same view.



Supreme Court's surprise move opens door to gay marriage in 30 states

Quote:

By rejecting appeals in cases involving Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin and Indiana, the court left intact lower-court rulings that had struck down the bans in those states. But the high court's action means there will be no imminent national ruling on the issue, with litigation in states where gay marriage is still banned likely to continue. "Any time same-sex couples are extended marriage equality is something to celebrate, and today is a joyous day for thousands of couples across America who will immediately feel the impact of today's Supreme Court action," Chad Griffin, president of the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. Other states under the jurisdiction of appeals courts that have struck down the bans will also be affected by the Supreme Court's decision, meaning the number of states with gay marriage is likely to quickly jump from 19 to 30. The other states would be North Carolina, West Virginia, South Carolina, Wyoming, Kansas and Colorado.

I guess it's still possible that other appeals courts could make different rulings, and maybe then the Supreme Court would get involved? However, this seems to signal which side they would come down on in that case.

via International Skeptics Forum http://ift.tt/1rT6vT0