Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) established which of the following?

• A. It upheld state bans on same-sex marriage.
• B. It granted federal protection for marriage rights across all states.
• C. It allowed only some states to license same-sex marriages.
• D. It required states to license and recognize marriages between two people of the same sex nationwide.

Answer: (D)

The ruling centers on whether the Constitution protects same‑sex marriage nationwide and requires states to license and recognize those marriages. In Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court held that same‑sex couples have a fundamental right to marry under the Fourteenth Amendment, grounded in due process and equal protection. This means states may not ban same‑sex marriages, and they must both issue marriage licenses to same‑sex couples and recognize same‑sex marriages performed in other states. That nationwide requirement is why the correct conclusion is that states must license and recognize marriages between two people of the same sex across the country. The other options don’t fit because the ruling does not uphold bans, does not stop at limited federal protections without state action, and does not allow only some states to license such marriages.