Campaigner Jim Obergefell, whose US Supreme Court case led to the nationwide legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2015, has spoken to Out Magazine about the future of the law he changed under the current political climate.
“We have taken some great steps forward, but with every bit of progress in our nation, we take steps back,” he told Out. “If we don’t remind people where we’ve been, we’re going to lose it.”
He emphasised the need to continue to “fight” for LGBTQ+ equality. “I always knew I’d be sharing my story for the rest of my life,” he said, “But now it feels different. Now, I tell my story not just with joy but with fear—fear that this story will be erased, our marriage will be erased, that our right to say ‘I do’ will be erased.”
He added: “I feel fortunate that I can be a voice for our community, that I can continue to fight for those who are marginalised and vulnerable because the LGBTQ+ community includes everyone—and we must fight for all of us.”
Due to a Gay marriage ban in their home state of Ohio, Jim Obergefell had married terminally ill husband John Arthur in Maryland in 2013. However, due to the ban, they were not allowed to add Jim’s name to John’s death certificate. This triggered the couple to file the lawsuit which would ultimately end in the Supreme Court, bringing marriage equality to every state in America.
At the time of the Supreme Court’s ruling, Jim said: “Today’s ruling from the Supreme Court affirms what millions across the country already know to be true in our hearts: that our love is equal.”
