In a nation facing the tragedy of race driven violence, its citizens can find hope in a step towards equality. Today, love has won. On June 26, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-to-4 vote that the Constitutional right of marriage is extended to same-sex couples.

This ruling will dissolve the bans on same-sex marriage in 14 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas) and grant national spousal rights to all same-sex marriage couples.

Multiple religious organization have spoken out in protest against this ruling. The president of the Christian Family Research Council, Tony Perkins, states, “With this ruling, the Supreme Court has set our government on a collision course with America’s cherished religious freedoms, explicitly guaranteed in the First Amendment of the Constitution.” The ruling, however, does not state that religions are required to perform, or agree with, same-sex marriages.

Despite the ruling not taking affect for another three weeks in order to allow for the losing side to ask for reconsideration, county clerks have granted marriage licenses to same-sex couples within hours of the decision in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas.

President Barak Obama took special time to comment on this ruling, stating, “Today we can say, in no uncertain terms, that we have made our union a little more perfect.”

This ruling will go down in history and marks the day when same-sex marriage became marriage.