An anti-gay marriage protester disrupted a US Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday as justices heard arguments in landmark cases that could legalise same-sex marriage nationwide. The man shouted biblical warnings about hellfire roughly 30 minutes into oral arguments, according to news reports.
The interruption occurred as Mary Bonauto, a lawyer advocating for same-sex marriage, concluded her presentation. Security removed the protester, who continued yelling from the hallway. Justice Antonin Scalia remarked that the disruption was 'rather refreshing'.
The court heard extended arguments lasting two and a half hours, examining whether states that ban same-sex marriage must recognise such unions from other states. The justices' comments offered little indication of how swing voters might rule on whether states can continue defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, who authored the court's three prior gay rights decisions, appeared undecided. He noted that the traditional definition of marriage has existed for 'millennia', making it difficult to declare that 'we know better'. Chief Justice John Roberts suggested that laws banning sex discrimination could apply to same-sex marriage.
Same-sex marriage is currently legal in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The court's 2013 ruling struck down a key part of the federal Defence of Marriage Act and threw out California's Proposition 8, but did not issue a nationwide ruling. Supporters expect a final decision this summer.
