Saint Louis, Mo. — One of the men at the center of a landmark Supreme Court case on same-sex marriage joined St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay during his national tour to discuss the continuing fight for LGBT equality.
Jim Obergefell is the plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges, a case the court combined with several others asking the SCOTUS to rule on whether or not state bans on same-sex marriage violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Obergefell began his lawsuit several years ago after the passing of his husband, John Arthur. Obergefell married Arthur on a tarmac at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, because at the time Maryland was one of the few states wedding gay couples. The two had to charter a special medical jet to take them to Baltimore, because they were married after Arthur was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
After Arthur died in their home state of Ohio, Obergefell sued the state to have his name placed on Arthur’s death certificate as his surviving spouse. The state refused and a series of conflicting rulings at various court levels ensued. The case ultimately landed in the Supreme Court and posed a fundamental question to the justices. Should the court rule that marriage for gay couples falls under the purview of the Fourteenth Amendment, the ruling would effectively knock down any remaining state same-sex marriage bans.
“When John died, I never thought I would have to fight all the way to the Supreme Court to defend our marriage,” Obergefell said. “It’s a demand for my rights. And I there’s a long way still to go, but I am hopeful.”
Slay and representatives from the Human Rights Campaign, a national organization advocating for LGBT rights, joined Obergefell at the press conference, along with some of the same-sex couples married in Slay’s own office last year, a move that triggered a court challenge to Missouri’s own same-sex marriage ban.
“Almost one year ago we challenged Missouri’s absurd ban on same-sex marriage and now in some counties in this state, same-sex marriage is legal, but it’s not statewide yet,” Slay said.
The City of St. Louis has a “100” rating from HRC, thanks in no small part to Slay’s vocal advocacy on behalf of LGBT individuals.
Obergefell is touring the country to discuss not only his case, but the “next fight” of LGBT advocates — criminalizing discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. In Missouri, there are currently no laws prohibiting discrimination based on either, something Obergefell and his fellow advocates said was “just as important” as marriage equality.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in late April in the Obergefell v. Hodges case and is expected to issue their formal ruling within the next few weeks.
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
