The state of Nevada has made history by becoming the first American state to enshrine the right to same-sex marriage in their state constitution.
Per NBC News, thanks to question number two on Nevada ballots, Nevada voters overturned an 18-year-old contradictory amendment on same-sex marriage that was passed in the state back in 2002.
The so-called "Marriage Regardless of Gender Amendment" asked its voters whether or not they supported an amendment recognizing marriages "between couples regardless of gender" and asked if religious organizations and clergy retained the right "to refuse to solemnize a marriage".
Per NBC, the results were 62% in favor of the amendment and 38% against.
Per USA Today, Nevada was one of 30 states in the US that constitutionally defined marriage as being a civil union between a man and a woman, thanks to a voter referendum made in 2002.
However, in 2014, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the same-sex marriage bans in Nevada and Idaho violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
And in 2015, the Supreme Court ruled state bans on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, rendering Nevada’s state ban unenforceable.
Now, thanks to the new amendment, same-sex marriages conducted in the state of Nevada are now constitutionally protected; meaning that they cannot be overturned if the federal Supreme Court ever reverses its decision on same-sex marriages.
Commenting on the vote in a press release per USA Today, André C. Wade, the state director of Silver State Equality (America's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization) stated:
"Nevada has led the way in the nation on LGBTQ+ protections, and yesterday’s passage of Ballot Question Two is yet another big step forward and important protection now afforded LGBTQ+ Nevadans.
"Silver State Equality applauds Nevadans who voted overwhelmingly to amend the state’s constitution to recognize all marriages, regardless of gender."
Meanwhile, Equality Nevada President Chris Davin told NBC News:
"It feels good that we let the voters decide. The people said this, not judges or lawmakers. This was direct democracy - it’s how everything should be."
The move has been a great step forward for the American LGBTQ+ community and their ongoing battle for equality.