The closing paragraph of Justice Kennedy’s gay marriage ruling is truly beautiful

If you haven’t heard by now, the Supreme Court has legalized gay marriage in all 50 states.

The historic 5-4 decision split the court along the ideological lines that were to be expected, and there were some pretty grotesque dissents written by Justices Scalia and Thomas. But it was the Republican-appointed Justice Anthony Kennedy, siding with the court’s liberal wing to vote in favor of marriage equality, who turned heads with a rather touching and beautiful closing paragraph in his opinion on the ruling.

Here it is:

h/t Slate