America
UN chief hails US' same-sex marriage ruling
United Nations, June 27
UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon has hailed the US decision to legalise same-sex marriage in
all 50 states, a media report said on Saturday.
The US Supreme
Court on Friday ruled that same-sex marriage is a legal right across the
country that meant that the 14 states with bans will no longer be able
to enforce them, Xinhua reported.
"The secretary-general welcomes
the decision of the Supreme Court that paves the way for gay and
lesbian Americans to have their relationships legally recognised, no
matter what part of the country they live in," deputy UN spokesman
Farhan Haq said.
"The secretary-general called it a great step forward for human rights."
"He
is a strong believer in equality and in the equal worth and dignity of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people," he added.
Same-sex couples in several affected states, including Georgia, Michigan, Ohio and Texas, rushed to wed on Friday.
Officials
in other states, including Mississippi and Louisiana, said marriages
had to wait until procedural issues were addressed.
"Denying couples legal recognition of their relationship opens the door to widespread discrimination," Haq said.
"This
ruling will help close that door and marks a great step forward for
human rights in the US. The secretary-general joins the LGBT community
and its millions of allies in celebrating this historic decision."
US President Barack Obama said the ruling was a "victory for America".
"When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free," he said.
The ruling brings to an end more than a decade of bitter legal battles.