Oct 7, 2014 2 min read

It’s deliciously ironic an organization that vehemently opposes the right of same-sex couples to marry calls itself the Alliance Defending Freedom.

It’s even more ironic a lawyer for that group said Monday, following a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to let stand rulings by appeals court judges around the country striking down same-sex marriage bans, “the people should decide this issue, not the courts.”

If the decision were, in fact, left in the hands of the people, chances are they would overwhelmingly agree that, yes, gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry and enjoy all the benefits that flow to couples in heterosexual marriages. Most polls show the majority of Americans now have no cavil with it, which is an extraordinary turnaround in a public sentiment in just a decade, while young people support the concept overwhelmingly. That fact alone should signal the inevitability of same-sex nuptials in all 50 states.

Several observers of the Supreme Court deduced its decision not to hear any of these appeals meant some members of the body were biding their time until same-sex marriage is legal in more states before they hear a case and issue a sweeping decision rendering all statewide bans unconstitutional. Perhaps. But in the near term, the decision is good news for couples in Indiana, Wisconsin, Virginia, Oklahoma and Utah, where same-sex marriage is now allowed as a result of the court’s action, and it will soon likely be permitted in a host of other states, including our neighbor West Virginia. That means 30 states, including Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia – fully two-thirds of the country – will authorize same-sex marriage.

Some supporters of same-sex marriage expressed disappointment after the court declined to hear any of the cases, thinking it would drive a stake through the heart of official opposition to same-sex marriage once and for all. But they needn’t fret. That day is coming, and probably soon.