Why the U.S. Supreme Court has been slow to hear gay marriage cases

In November, the justices will hear a case that could have major implications for the nation’s marriage laws.

The case, Obergefell v.

Hodges, concerns whether states can define marriage as being between a man and a woman.

The justices are split 4-4 on the issue, meaning that a 4-justice vote would likely lead to the end of gay marriage nationwide.

Justice Anthony Kennedy is the swing vote and has the power to strike down laws he disagrees with.

But a 4 vote is far more likely than a 3-vote tie.

The Obergefords case, which has been put on hold while the justices consider it, concerns a law in Texas that prohibits same-sex couples from marrying.

If the Supreme Court rules that the law violates the 14th Amendment, it could open the door for other states to begin allowing gay marriage.

The case has been brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups and is expected to last for several months.

The ACLU has argued that the U:s constitution’s guarantee of equal protection of the laws does not apply to gay marriage and that the court’s ruling will open the floodgates for other laws to be challenged in court.

The decision could set the stage for more gay marriage laws in the U .

S., and it could also give legal and financial cover to businesses and other individuals who are seeking to discriminate against gay couples, such as landlords.

The American Civil Liberty Union has argued in court papers that the Obergevents are “unprecedented” because they go beyond the scope of the 14 th Amendment, which forbids states from recognizing gay marriages.

The groups said in a brief that the justices are “creating a nationwide right to discriminate and to prohibit marriages.”

The decision is expected in the coming weeks.

The justices have been reluctant to hear a lot of gay-marriage cases over the years.

Last year, Justice Sonia Sotomayor recused herself from the case, saying that she would have to recuse herself from any future cases.

In January, the Supreme Judicial Court issued a rare unanimous decision in favor of gay couples.

The court did not take up the case of two women who had sued over a Texas law that required a man to provide a condom for his partner to use in a sexual encounter.

The court decided that the state’s condom requirement violated the 14-year-old amendment.