Latest news with #ObergefellvHodges
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Marriage Equality and Trans Rights Are Two Sides of the Same Coin for Many
Across the country, many Americans have commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision guaranteeing same-sex couples the right to marry nationwide. They have pointed to the broad social acceptance for same-sex marriage and vowed to fend off legal threats to the landmark ruling. But for some veterans of the marriage equality movement, celebration was muted by another Supreme Court ruling a week earlier in which the right for states to ban some gender-transition medical treatments for young people was upheld. It is an area of L.G.B.T.Q. policy that has been as polarizing as same-sex marriage once was. But for many gay Americans and their allies, the two are of a piece. 'Just knowing that I knew at 12 for sure that I was attracted to men — not a doubt ever even crossed my mind — I'm sure that these kids know their bodies and know in their brains this is who they are,' said Matthew Hansell, one of the plaintiffs in the 2015 marriage case who spoke with The New York Times this week. 'My husband is nodding his head yes,' Mr. Hansell added. The case, Obergefell v. Hodges, combined several lawsuits filed by gay couples in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee who either sought a marriage license or recognition of their same-sex union that was legally performed in another state. Several couples involved in that case said they saw parallels to what transgender youths are facing now with a patchwork of state laws. At least 30 states still have statutes or constitutional amendments banning marriage equality, though they cannot be enforced because of the Supreme Court ruling. Over the last four years, 27 states have enacted partial or total bans on gender-transition treatments for minors. 'It's shocking to me that the country cares enough to legislate against these kids,' said Sophy Jesty, 53, one of the plaintiffs in the Obergefell case who now lives with her wife, Valeria Tanco, and their two daughters in Charleston, S.C. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
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
10 years after landmark Supreme Court ruling, Healey calls same-sex marriage "non-issue" in Massachusetts
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. The Supreme Court's landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015 followed years of national wrangling during which some states moved to protect domestic partnerships or civil unions for same-sex partners and others declared that marriage could exist only between one man and one woman. More than a decade before the Supreme Court weighed in, Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004. Healey: Same-sex marriage a "non-issue" Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said same-sex marriage will always be protected in the state. Healey told WBZ-TV's Jon Keller on Thursday that the future of same-sex marriage is a "non-issue," saying there's bigger issues people are concerned about. "Marriage is marriage, whether you're gay or not and that's the law here, it's going to continue to be that way," Healey said. "And you know what people really care about? They care about how they're going to pay their bills, can they afford a home, do they have access to jobs and economic mobility. That's what I'm focused on as governor and I will certainly make sure that we defend the rights of all to marry in our state and that people, gay and straight, that their rights, their freedoms are protected." What is Obergefell v. Hodges? James Obergefell and John Arthur, who lived in Ohio, married in Maryland since same-sex marriage was banned in their state by a voter-approved amendment in 2004. The couple married after Arthur was diagnosed with ALS. The legal battle began when they learned their marriage would not be listed on Arthur's death certificate. After a court approved recognizing their marriage on Arthur's death certificate, Ohio appealed and the case eventually reached the Supreme Court. The Obergefell v. Hodges decision argued that marriage is guaranteed under the Constitution's 14th Amendment, specifically the due process and equal protection clauses. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the right to marry is fundamental, calling it "inherent in the liberty of the person" and therefore protected by the Constitution. The ruling effectively nullified state-level bans on same-sex marriages, as well as laws declining to recognize such unions performed in other jurisdictions. In CNN's presidential exit polls in 2004, only a quarter of Americans thought same-sex couples should be able to legally marry, with a larger percentage favoring civil unions instead. Ten years after Obergefell v. Hodges, some polls show nearly 70% approve of same-sex marriage. contributed to this report.
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.
