The Court denied a request to revisit Obergefell v Hodges, the Supreme Court case granting marriage equality nationwide

Washington, D.C. — Today, the Supreme Court denied Kim Davis’s request to reconsider Obergefell v Hodges, a decision favored by more than 71% of Americans, including 56% of Republicans. Since their landmark decision in 2015, almost 300,000 children under the age of 18 being raised by married same-sex parents. 

“Today, the Court reaffirmed what we already know: Marriage equality is the law of the land, uncontroversial and widely supported — and it’s not going anywhere,” says Darra Gordon, CEO of Family Equality. “In recent years, our community has endured heartbreaking attacks on our fundamental freedoms, so today’s win is more than a breath of fresh air. It’s a reminder to carry the lessons learned from the fight for marriage equality into the work ahead. We will continue sharing our families’ stories, educating the public, and advocating boldly for a world where all families are equal under the law.” 

“For a decade, I’ve heard the stories of families whose lives were changed because of our case,” says Jim Obergefell, Family Equality Board Member and the lead plaintiff in Obergefell v Hodges. “Families who could buy homes, raise their children, file taxes, access retirement benefits, navigate insurance coverage, and more. This fundamental freedom is deeply ingrained in the day-to-day life of hundreds of thousands of families across the country, and I’m grateful to the Court today for sending a clear message that we’re not turning back now.” 

Despite the Court’s positive decision, the LGBTQ+ community faces threats from statehouses to school boards, including 600+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in states across the country this year alone. To prepare for whatever the future may hold, Family Equality has continued to collaborate with movement partners to shore up the patchwork of family protections at the state level and share family stories to prepare for whatever the future may hold.

Interested advocates are invited to take action through Family Equality’s recently launched To Have and To Hold storytelling campaign or by reviewing Family Equality’s Marriage Equality: Five Things You Can Do Right Now resource from late summer. 

Family Equality is the only national organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the freedoms of all LGBTQ+ families through bold advocacy, transformative education, and powerful community building.

Tonya Agnew, Vice President of Marketing and Communications
[email protected] / (765) 490-4709

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