Civil rights is the rights of citizens to equality and freedom no matter their race, sexuality, or gender. This includes the equal right to marry. To take away someone’s right to marry is “[locking] same-sex couples out of a central institution of the Nation’s society, for they too may aspire to the transcendent purposes of marriage” (Justice Anthony Kennedy) violating equal protection of the 14th amendment. Many people who oppose same-sex marriage believe that the legalisation of same-sex marriage will change the significance of marriage, decreasing the importance. Oftentimes, couples propose in order to take the next step in the relationship, to show their affection for their significant other to the world. In addition, when a marriage is recognised by the government, the couple is unable to receive legal benefits such as “favorable treatment in tax, inheritance, and insurance status; immigration rights; rights in adoption and custody; decisional and visitation rights in health care and burial; the spousal privilege exemption when giving testimony in court; and yet others” according to the dissent. This should be a constitutional right as every individual is equal and one’s sexuality does not degrade them from the rest of the society.