How has the Supreme Court interpreted the equal protection clause of the US Constitution?

The equal protection clause of the US Constitution is found in the Fourteenth Amendment and states that no state shall “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Over the years, the US Supreme Court has interpreted this clause to mean that all citizens are entitled to equal protection under the law. In the famous case of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decided that state laws that allowed for segregated schools violated the equal protection clause of the US Constitution. The Court held that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” and, as such, violated the Fourteenth Amendment. This landmark decision set the tone for many other decisions by the Court, which held that individuals have the right to be treated fairly, regardless of their race, religion, or other personal characteristics. In the case of Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court held that state laws prohibiting same-sex intimacy violated the equal protection clause. The Court reasoned that the law was “motivated by animus” and, as such, violated the right of individuals to be treated with equal dignity. Similarly, in Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court held that bans on same-sex marriage also violated the equal protection clause, with the Court noting that same-sex couples are “entitled to respect for their private lives” and “be free from government interference” in their relationships. Overall, the US Supreme Court has long interpreted the equal protection clause of the US Constitution to mean that all citizens are entitled to equal protection under the law. This interpretation has been used to protect individuals from discrimination based on race, religion, and sexual orientation.

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How has the Supreme Court interpreted the equal protection clause of the US Constitution?

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