Supreme Court will hear arguments on gay marriage

Hearing will be in April on whether bans are constitutional

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday said it will hear oral arguments on April 28 on whether states can ban gay marriage, addressing a hot social issue in what promises to yield one of the justices' most important rulings of the year.

The nine justices will hear an extended 150-minute argument in cases concerning same-sex marriage bans in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee.
              
The court will decide whether same-sex marriage bans are prohibited by the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law. A ruling is due by the end of June.
              
There are currently 37 states where gay marriage has been allowed to proceed, although a legal battle is ongoing in Alabama, with the state's top court putting it on hold.