The Supreme Court's marriage battle has been years in the making

In Obergefell v. Hodges, the US Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments on Tuesday, April 28, over whether states' same-sex marriage bans are constitutional, setting the stage for a final decision on the issue by the end of June. Although the cases deal with laws in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee specifically, the Court's decision could bring marriage equality to the entire US by striking down all states' same-sex marriage bans.

The same-sex marriage battle has been more than a decade in the making — going back to the early 2000s. In 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the state, making Massachusetts the first state in the country to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry in 2004.