As the nation reflected on the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, some LGBTQ advocates are voicing concerns about its potential unraveling. Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges case, expressed his worries in an interview with NBC News. "Ten years later, I certainly wasn't expecting to be talking about the threats to marriage equality, the potential for Obergefell to be overturned," he told NBC News.
In Chicago, LGBTQ community members are also looking back at the battles they've faced. Jim Darby and his husband, Patrick Bova, Illinois residents who married shortly after the state recognized same-sex marriage in June 2014, are among those reflecting on the past and looking toward an uncertain future. "All of those arrangements we had made it feel like [history] was going in the right direction," Darby said in a statement obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. Their rights, along with those of countless others, might once again be in jeopardy in light of recent political developments.
Recent measures introduced by Republican lawmakers in at least 10 states suggest a push to diminish same-sex marriage rights, and these instances of political opposition hang a shadow over the progress made in the last decade. MassResistance, an anti-marriage equality group helping craft state measures aimed at challenging Obergefell, remains steadfast in its belief that "marriage laws should be left to states," and is content with keeping the issue in the public eye, as reported by NBC News.
Suzie Hutton, who was part of ACLU of Illinois’ 2012 lawsuit for marriage equality, shared how before marriage rights were extended, she and her wife had to carry copies of their wills "just in case." Now, with the right to same-sex marriage under threat again, the couple, as well as others in the LGBTQ community, face renewed anxiety. "Learn what it was like to not be able to go out in public so you can be with your partner and keep your job," Tim Kee, who was also part of the ACLU lawsuit, told the Chicago Sun-Times. His words are a reminder of the stakes at play.
While there is no immediate legal challenge to Obergefell v. Hodges headed for the Supreme Court, the climate of uncertainty and the repercussions of the Roe v. Wade reversal in 2022 are cause for vigilance within the community. Mary Bonauto, who argued for Obergefell before the Supreme Court, conveyed to NBC News her confidence that overturning the decision would have far-reaching impacts: "I do think there’s a reason why marriage is widely supported, even if some people are harboring mixed feelings, which would be fine."
