Updated at 11:03 a.m. ET
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states cannot keep same-sex couples from marrying and must recognize their unions. Those dissenting were the court's four conservative justices: Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito.
Roberts' Rationale
The chief justice notes that the Constitution does not take a position on "any one theory of marriage," and says the court's decision orders "every State to license and recognize same-sex marriage." Here are two striking excerpts from his dissent.
'Constitutional Revision'
Scalia did not mince his words, joining Roberts' dissent in full, but writing "separately to call attention to this Court's threat to American democracy." Scalia, widely regarded as one of the most conservative justices on the court, wrote that "it is not of special importance to me what the law says about marriage. It is of overwhelming importance, however, who it is that rules me."
Here's more from his dissent:
Scalia wrote the years-long, robust debate over same-sex marriage is "exactly how our system of government is supposed to work" and noted when the 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868, "every state limited marriage to one man and one woman, and no one doubted the constitutionality of doing so."
Scalia called the majority opinion "a naked judicial claim to legislative—indeed, super-legislative—power." And, he added, the court's "highly unrepresentative panel of nine" violated "a principle even more fundamental than no taxation without representation." Here's more:
We will add to this post with the opinions from the other dissenting justices.
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