Latest news with #JimObergefell
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Same-sex marriages have doubled in the decade since Supreme Court decision
Same-sex marriages have doubled in the decade since the Supreme Court made the union legal across the country. This week marks 10 years since the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that state bans on same-sex marriages violated the Constitution. The ruling stemmed from a case titled Obergefell v. Hodges. Plaintiff Jim Obergefell of Cincinnati, Ohio, had been in a relationship with John Arthur for almost two decades when Arthur was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, The Associated Press reported. It was another Supreme Court decision from 2013, that repealed a law denying federal recognition of same-sex marriages, which allowed Obergefell and Arthur to get married in Maryland. But because of the laws in the couple's home state, their marriage would not be listed on Arthur's death certificate. Arthur died months into their legal battle challenging Ohio's refusal to recognize same-sex marriages on death certificates. The Supreme Court ruled on June 26, 2015, that the right to marry is 'inherent in the liberty of the person' and therefore protected by the Constitution. Now, there are between 820,000 and 930,000 same-sex marriages across the U.S., The Washington Post reported. In 2014, there were 390,000 same-sex marriages around the country in states where the union was legal. The Post analyzed data from Gallup, the Pew Center and the Williams Institute at UCLA Law. A majority of Americans support same-sex marriage. A Gallup poll from May found that 68 percent of people believe same-sex marriages should be recognized by the law as valid, while just 29 percent believe they should not. Still, 32 states still have laws that would ban same-sex marriages if not for the Obergefell ruling, Axios reported, citing the independent think tank Movement Advancement Project. About 60 percent of LGBTQ adults live in states with some type of marriage equality ban. There is also a growing number of voices advocating for the overturning of Obergefell, with Republican lawmakers in several states introducing measures to urge the Supreme Court to end same-sex marriage. Obergefell told NBC News in a recent interview: 'Ten years later, I certainly wasn't expecting to be talking about the threats to marriage equality, the potential for Obergefell to be overturned.' 'Marriage is a right, and it shouldn't depend on where you live,' he argued, adding that he remains hopeful in the fight for marriage equality. 'My husband, John, was a very optimistic person, and he certainly had an impact on me,' Obergefell said. 'I have to be confident that we will prevail.'
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Jim Obergefell, whose Maryland same-sex marriage led to Supreme Court legalization, warns ruling "is not safe"
Ten years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, and the case began with a couple who got married on the tarmac at BWI Airport. WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren spoke to the lead plaintiff, Jim Obergefel,l a decade after the ruling. He says marriage equality is under attack. Supreme Court decision day On June 26, 2015, people camped outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., waiting for the ruling that could change history. And it did. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, and the case began with a couple who got married on the tarmac at BWI Airport. CBS News Baltimore When my case number was read, I just jumped up in my seat a little bit and immediately started crying," Obergefell told CBS News moments after the decision. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, and the case began with a couple who got married on the tarmac at BWI Airport. CBS News A decade later, Obergefell spoke candidly about the impact. "I think about the families that have formed, the people who have been able to say, 'I love you, I choose you. I will love, honor and protect you,'" he said. "And I think about the kids who have a future where, before, they might not have seen one for themselves. I think about a young woman in Tennessee who told me that if it weren't for Obergefell v. Hodges – if it weren't for that marriage equality decision – she would have committed suicide." His comments come as the Trump administration recently announced the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline will end its line dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth by July 17. Married at BWI Airport The road to equality began at BWI Marshall Airport more than two years earlier when Obergefell and his longtime partner, John Arthur, got married on a medical jet on the tarmac in Anne Arundel County. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, and the case began with a couple who got married on the tarmac at BWI Airport. Jim Obergefell At the time, Arthur was in the last stages of ALS. Friends paid $14,000 to charter the plane. "The nurse and the two pilots left the airplane so we could have some privacy, and with John's Aunt Paulette officiating, we got to say, 'I thee wed,' and that's all we wanted to do," Obergefell said. "We just wanted to get married. We wanted to exist in the eyes of our government, and we wanted John to die a married man." While there were other states that recognized same-sex marriage at that time, they came to Maryland for one simple reason. "Maryland was the only state that did not require both of us to appear in person to apply for a marriage license. And for me, that really helped keep John at home safe and comfortable. I could go by myself to get the marriage license. I did not have to take John with me at that point. We did not have to find a place to stay overnight or anything else. I could get that marriage license, and then, all John and I would have to do is get to Maryland for the ceremony," Obergefell said. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, and the case began with a couple who got married on the tarmac at BWI Airport. Jim Obergefell Battle at home The couple soon discovered another problem after a civil rights attorney in their home state read about their marriage and reached out to them. "He came to our home with a blank Ohio death certificate, and he said, 'Do you guys understand? When John dies, his last record as a person—his death certificate—will be wrong because of the Ohio state-level Defense of Marriage Act. The state will completely disregard your lawful marriage in Maryland, and when they fill this out, they will say John was unmarried at the time he died, and Jim, your name will not be there as his surviving spouse.'" Obergefell and Arthur sued. "Eleven days after we got married, I was in court for the hearing on our case, and that very same day, federal Judge Timothy Black ruled in our favor and said, 'Ohio, when John dies, you must complete his death certificate correctly,'" Obergefell said. Ohio then appealed and won a victory, Obergefell recalled, "setting us up for our appeal to the Supreme Court, and Ohio fought that all the way to the Supreme Court." His husband died before seeing their victory in Washington, D.C. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, and the case began with a couple who got married on the tarmac at BWI Airport. Jim Obergefell Remembering John Arthur Hellgren asked what Obergefell wants the public to remember about his late husband. "When we decided to file our lawsuit, he gave me his ok to take time away from him. He was dying of ALS, and he was in at-home hospice care fully bedridden, and he knew doing this—filing a lawsuit—would take me away from him, but it was important for him—to him—for us to exist, so he gave me his permission to take time away to fight this fight," he said. Obergefell described Arthur as charming, funny and generous. "He just was one of those people who would walk into a room filled with others—people he'd never met—and by the time he left that room, he had talked to every single person, he charmed them beyond compare," Obergefell said. "And he just was so funny. I mean, we still laugh, friends and I. We still laugh about some of the things John would say, and I was fortunate enough to meet him, to fall in love with him and to have him love me back." In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, and the case began with a couple who got married on the tarmac at BWI Airport. Jim Obergefell "Marriage is not Safe" Obergefell is still fighting. Some conservative justices have called for the nation's highest court to review the landmark marriage decision. "We've had two Supreme Court justices point blank say they want to overturn Obergefell, so no one should think marriage is safe. We have state legislatures passing resolutions calling on the Supreme Court to overturn marriage equality. We have religious organizations doing the same thing," Obergefell said. "Marriage is not safe, and I think anyone who says it is, I think they're fooling themselves." Earlier this month, the Southern Baptist Convention voted to fight to overturn Obergefell's case no matter how long it takes. "It just makes me angry, and I simply don't understand it. Our marriages don't harm anyone else," Obergefell said. "We absolutely cannot assume marriage is settled law. People thought that about abortion rights, and after 49 years, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. So, if a right that people enjoyed for 49 years can be overturned by this court, a right we are just coming up on 10 years of having is at risk." Still, he has hope for the future—and no regrets about being the face of the case that legalized same-sex marriage. "I can't think of a single thing I would do differently," Obergefell said. "John and I reacted to a situation we found ourselves in. We made a decision—a decision we had never once in our lives considered—but it was the right decision." Obergefell said there is "power in hope." "We need to find hope these days, because there are a lot of reasons for us to feel disheartened, to feel afraid. And we need that hope," he told Hellgren. "And for anyone out there who is feeling discouraged or afraid, terrified, I understand. I get it. I'm there with you but just know that I and millions of other people are continuing the fight to make things better for others." Ruling Resonates Even today, Obergefell said the words of the ruling in his favor resonate. "That last page of the decision is something that I know by heart. I joke that it feels like there's a law that was passed that said that last page must be included in every queer marriage ceremony—and also a lot of straight marriage ceremonies. And it's a beautiful piece of writing, and what I love about it is, it talks to what marriage means and why it's important to people." He is referring to what Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his 5-4 majority opinion, "No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right." Marriage equality in Maryland Maryland legalized same-sex marriage in January 2013 after a statewide referendum. The fight for equality began long before that vote. Pioneering couple Gita Deane and Lisa Polyak filed a lawsuit a decade earlier. While they were unsuccessful before Maryland's highest court at the time, their legal battle laid the groundwork. The couple recently spoke to WJZ about their journey. "I think we were on an education and awareness campaign in this state," Deane said. "I think it's important for people to see that we are their neighbors. Our children are in their schools. Their own children might be LGBT, and the fear needs to go away. We can all link arms and move forward together."
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Obama Foundation unveils memorabilia from Supreme Court case legalizing same-sex marriage on 10th anniversary
On the 10th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage in the United States, the Obama Foundation is unveiling some of what they will have on display in Chicago related to the case. Thursday, the Obama Foundation will show some pieces related to Obergefell v. Hodges that will be on display at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park when it opens in 2025. They include Jim Obergefell's wedding ring and marriage certificate. Obergefell sued the state of Ohio in 2013 over its refusal to recognize same-sex marriage on a death certificate after his husband, John Arthur, passed. They were legally married in Maryland when Arthur was terminally ill. Ohio did not recognize same-sex marriage at the time and refused to Obergefell's request to be listed on the death certificate. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where justices decided in a 5-4 ruling that the 14th amendment requires all states to perform same-sex marriages and recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.
NBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Americans' thoughts on Iran strikes and 10 years since Obergefell v. Hodges: Morning Rundown
A new poll reveals Americans' early feelings about U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. A recording appears to show the DOJ coordinated with Texas' attorney general to kill a state law. And Jim Obergefell reflects on the fight LGBTQ rights 10 years after the landmark Supreme Court decision bearing his name. Here's what to know today. A new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey found that Donald Trump's call to launch airstrikes last weekend on several nuclear facilities in Iran has more opposition than support. According to the survey, 45% of U.S. adults oppose the airstrikes, versus 38% who support them. Another 18% of respondents said they neither support nor oppose the strikes. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. A closer look at the answers given by Republicans versus Democrats, however, shows less division. Among Republicans, 78% support the airstrikes, with 60% strongly supporting them. In a near-mirror image, 77% of Democrats oppose the airstrikes, with 61% strongly opposed. There's a starker division among independents: 45% oppose the U.S. airstrikes, 21% support and 34% neither support nor oppose them. The survey ran from Monday through Wednesday, after Trump had made the decision to launch the airstrikes on Saturday. But in the time the survey was in the field, Iran launched a retaliatory strike at a U.S. military site in Qatar, Trump announced a ceasefire and chastised both countries for appearing to break the terms. It's still unknown exactly what damage the strikes did to the Iranian nuclear program. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said yesterday that new intelligence 'from a historically reliable and accurate source/method' indicated that Iran's nuclear program was 'severely damaged' in recent U.S. airstrikes. A day earlier, a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency initial assessment found the strikes set back Iran's program only by several months. More coverage of Middle East conflicts: Trump's diplomacy by social media has garnered renewed attention. His supporters are fine with his method for communicating with the world, but it carries a big risk. Iran's exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, is promoting a vision for a new Iran that prioritizes individual liberties, equality of 'all citizens' and the separation of religion and state. He's making his pitch for a regime change not from the streets of Tehran, but from a conference room in Paris. Subscribe to Here's The Scoop, a new daily podcast from NBC News that will break down the day's top stories with our trusted journalists on the ground and around the world, all in 15 minutes or less. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and read the stories behind each episode on DOJ and Texas AG coordinated to kill the Texas Dream Act A Texas law that gave undocumented immigrants in-state tuition was killed 'in six hours' after the Justice Department coordinated with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to a recording obtained by NBC News. In the recording, Deputy Associate Attorney General Abhishek Kambli seemed to boast at a private Republican gathering earlier this month of the Trump administration's actions. On June 4, the Justice Department sued Texas over the Texas Dream Act, then quickly filed a joint motion with Texas asking a judge to declare the law unconstitutional and permanently enjoin Texas from enforcing the law. The same day, the judge did. A Justice Department spokesperson did not dispute Kambli made the statements and said it was 'pretty standard' for DOJ lawyers to notify state attorneys general of federal lawsuits ahead of time. Outside organizations, including Democracy Forward, the ACLU Foundation of Texas and the National Immigration Law Center, filed a motion this week arguing 'the United States and the Texas Attorney General colluded to predetermine the outcome of the case.' Read the full story here. More politics news: NATO members voted to more than double their defense spending targets to 5% of GDP, acceding to a previous demand from Trump. Still, the president's unpredictability has caused anxiety among European leaders. The bill for Trump's agenda proposes a crackdown on Medicaid reimbursements to health care providers, which could cost rural hospitals billions of dollars in funding. For people like Missouri resident Cierra Matthews, who credits Medicaid with saving her life, the cuts feel unfair. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s stance on vaccines loomed over a Senate confirmation hearing for Susan Monarez, Kennedy's pick to lead the CDC. A federal vaccine panel newly appointed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said it plans to review the childhood vaccination schedule and scrutinize vaccines that have been approved for decades. Some former employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who were fired, rehired and fired again said they have received debt notices to pay the government back for health care coverage they never had. Democrats' New York state of mind A 33-year-old progressive overtook a former governor and scion of a New York political dynasty. And it has put the Democratic Party on notice. Zohran Mamdani's ascension in the primary election for New York City mayor over Andrew Cuomo was a massive shot in the arm for progressives and other Democrats who have been imploring their party's elder statesmen to step aside for a new generation of leaders. The full results of the ranked choice election will not be known until next week, but early data shows Mamdani defied polling expectations and appealed to a unique coalition of voters through a combination of his on-the-ground campaigning and social media presence. Democratic congressional leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, both from New York, put out statements congratulating Mamdani, but they didn't explicitly call for the party to fall in line behind him. Other New York Democrats put out statements saying he's too extreme. Meanwhile, David Hogg, a former Democratic National Committee official who has supported primary challengers against long-serving Democrats, said in a statement: 'The people have spoken — and they're saying that the establishment is cooked.' Mamdani still has a general election to win, but as far as many progressives are concerned, his primary feat was itself a major victory. Read the full story here. More coverage of the New York City election: Supporters of ranked choice voting say the system incentivizes candidates to throw their support behind one another. Critics say it's confusing, time consuming and will sow more confusion in elections. Nonetheless, its use in this week's election has reopened a national debate. Read All About It Several Iranian asylum-seekers in Los Angeles have been arrested recently by immigration officials, and one woman experienced a severe panic attack after she witnessed her husband's arrest. Cooper Flagg was taken No. 1 in the NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Beyond that, here are the biggest surprises and other takeaways from the first day of the draft. An attorney representing rapper Fat Joe's former hype man was accused of hitting a process server with his car in New York City amid an ongoing legal battle. A social media fitness influencer known as the 'Liver King' was arrested in Texas after posting messages online 'picking a fight' with podcaster Joe Rogan. Staff Pick: 10 years later, Jim Obergefell says the same-sex marriage fight isn't over A year ago, recognizing the approaching 10th anniversary of the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, I decided to try to speak with Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff. I was aiming to gather his reflections on a decade of nationwide same-sex marriage rights. By October, I had secured a tentative interview with him. However, as the actual anniversary neared, neither Jim nor I anticipated the palpable fear that would grip the LGBTQ community. What began as a retrospective on marriage equality evolved to include efforts in several states to overturn those rights. It became clear that the story was no longer just about Jim celebrating a past victory. It grew to include his ongoing fight to honor his late husband by trying to secure for the country the rights they so desperately wanted for themselves. — Steven Romo, correspondent NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified What exactly is hypochlorous acid spray? The skin care product has become popular because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help combat several skin issues. Plus, the NBC Select team did a deep dive into grounding sheets to explain what they are and see if they really work.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Health
- Associated Press
Once named opponents in the Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage, now they're friends
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The case behind the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide a decade ago is known as Obergefell v. Hodges, but the two Ohio men whose names became that title weren't so at odds as it would seem, and are now friends. One year after the Supreme Court's June 26, 2015, decision, lead plaintiff Jim Obergefell was at an event for an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization when its former director asked if he wanted to meet Rick Hodges, who'd been the title defendant in his capacity as state health director in Ohio, one of the states challenged for not allowing same-sex couples to marry. 'I don't know, you tell me. Do I want to meet Rick Hodges?' Obergefell recalls responding. The two met for coffee in a hotel and hit it off. Hodges said he wanted to meet Obergefell because he's an 'icon.' He said he remembers telling Obergefell something along the lines of: 'I don't know if congratulations are in order because this began with you losing your husband, but I'm glad you won and I've never been so happy to lose in my life.' Obergefell and John Arthur, who brought the initial legal action, were longtime partners living in Cincinnati. After Arthur was diagnosed with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in 2011, Obergefell became Arthur's caregiver as the incurable condition ravaged his health. They flew to Maryland to marry before Arthur died in 2013, and the legal battle began when they learned their union wouldn't be listed on the death certificate handled by the Ohio Department of Health. Although Hodges' role as health director required him to defend the state, it didn't mean that his personal views aligned with the state's position. 'Personally, I was supportive of their efforts, as were some of the people who worked on the case for the state. Professionally, I had a job to do and I did it to the best of my ability,' Hodges said. In the months leading up to the court's decision, Hodges had gathered a group of Ohio lawyers to develop the paperwork needed to create the licensing system for judges to grant same-sex couples marriage licenses on the day of the decision if the Supreme Court ruled in their favor, said Obergefell's lead attorney in the case, Al Gerhardstein. Gerhardstein said Obergefell and Hodge's friendship is unusual in a 'very positive and exemplary way.' 'We need more models like that as we struggle with difficult social issues,' he said. The duo said they see each other two to three times per year and have routinely spoken together at conferences and panels. 'It's funny, whenever we go into an event together, everybody claps for him and looks at me like I'm the prince of darkness until we're done, and then it's great,' Hodges said. They are seeing each other more often this year since it's the 10th anniversary of the decision. Recently, they saw each other at a symposium at Northern Kentucky University and at another event, sponsored by Equality Ohio, the same organization that first led to their introduction. 'I can't think of other cases where the plaintiff and the defendant are friends. They might exist, I don't know about them,' Obergefell said. 'But I'm really glad that Rick and I are friends.'
