Big ticket companies in the US are supporting the gay marriage cause on Thursday, as the US Supreme Court (SC) calendared debates on the issue on April 28 this year. 

This is considered one of the biggest social issues to bring about one of the most significant court decisions of the year.

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About 379 firms and groups encompassing a range of sectors, featuring the likes of industry giants Google Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and Johnson & Johnson,  and even Thomson  Reuters  Corp.,  to name a few, signed a friend-of-the-court brief backing gay marriage.

"Allowing same-sex couples to marry improves employee morale and productivity, reduces uncertainty, and removes the wasteful administrative burdens imposed by the current disparity of state law treatment," the new pro-gay marriage brief asserts.

Other supporters likewise signed and filed briefs ahead of the deadline today, Friday. 

Some  include  well-known  conservatives  like Ken Mehlman, former Republican  National  Committee  Chairman,  and  David  Koch, a billionaire famous donations to right-winged political causes.

"[C]onservative values are consistent with - indeed, are advanced by - affording civil marriage rights to same-sex couples," states the brief.

Even President Barack Obama's administration supports the issue.

The  SC must rule on whether states can ban same sex marriage and decide if the  bans  imposed by Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee are prohibited by  the  constitution  of  equal  protection  under  US  law. A decision is expected end of June.

At present, 37 states allow gay marriage, even with an ongoing legal debate in Alabama.  Back  in  2013  when  the  high  court chose to waive pro-gay marriage  rulings,  undoing  the  restriction  of  benefits to heterosexual couples, under federal law, there were only 12 supportive states.

Lawyers  at  Morgan  Lewis  law firm claim that the inconsistent state laws weigh  down  businesses  and  the  marriage  bans  diverge  with  corporate anti-discrimination and diversity policies.

TagsPro Gay Marriage, Big US Firms, debate, Johnson & Johnson, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Thomson Reuters Corp.