10 Years Since Marriage Equality. What’s Next for LGBTQIA+ Rights?
A decade after the landmark Supreme Court decision, Jim Obergefell joined us on The Negative Space Podcast to reflect on progress, setbacks, and the road ahead.
It’s the 10-year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage in the United States
On June 26, 2015, history was made when Jim Obergefell won the national fight against marriage discrimination. It was a seismic victory for civil rights, but the fight for LGBTQIA+ protections never ended. Today, we’re seeing a spike in attacks on the rights of Queer communities across the country—from the Southern Baptist Convention’s recent vote to overturn Obergefell, to a coordinated wave of anti-trans bills sweeping the country.
In the first episode of The Negative Space, our seven-part podcast series exploring the unseen sides of advocacy, we sat down with Jim Obergefell to reflect on what’s changed, what’s at risk and what needs defending.
“With every step forward in our nation’s history, there’s been a backlash. There was a backlash to marriage right after the Supreme Court decision, but it never really went away,” he explained. “We’re seeing the people who have held control and the power for hundreds of years in our country start to realize, ‘Wait, we’re not the ones fully in control anymore. And we don’t like it.’ They want to erase us and prevent us from being able to live our lives.”
The erasure is being focused on Transgender communities nationwide. Across state legislatures, bills are surfacing that deny affirming healthcare for Trans individuals and even deny the existence of gender expansive identities.
He expanded on what’s driving this anti-science stance, saying, “These bills say that there are only two genders and two genders only because that’s all that God created. Well, that attitude ignores the reality that people are born intersex, people are born with differences, and it’s not a black-and-white, binary world like these people want it to be.”
What is it going to take to safeguard protections for LGBTQIA+ communities? As a brand or if you have a platform, he calls to position Queer & Trans narratives in storytelling.
“A lot of people across the country don’t think they know a single transgender person. They do, they most likely do, whether it’s a close friend, a family member, or just someone who works in a business…” said Obergefell. “They have met a transgender person, but they don’t think they know a transgender person.”
Telling stories with Trans narratives can color in the experiences people perceive differently, helping them challenge their harmful notions about gender and sexual diversity. Even on an individual level, having important conversations about this can help demystify myths that ladder into policy.
Regarding action on an individual level, however, Obergefell’s prescription is to get involved in local politics as federal protections weaken: “Change hearts and minds in your neighborhood. Volunteer. Run for office. Vote in every election.”
@anthemawards “Make those [local] changes. That will impact our state, and as our state changes, that will impact the nation.” -Jim Obergefell ㅤ Today is Election Day for the NY Primary Elections! Jim Obergefell’s advice is to get as involved as you can within your local communities and organizations 📣 ㅤ 👉 Listen to the full episode and the rest of The Negative Space podcast, link in bio. ㅤ #anthemawards #jimobergefell #podcast #newpodcast #obergefell #LGBTQ #MarriageEquality #localpolitics #politics
Today’s 10-year anniversary is both a celebration and a call to action. As Obergefell told us, “Progress isn’t permanent.” With resilience, solidarity and unfiltered storytelling, we can help ensure the freedom to exist is protected for the millions of Queer & Trans people in the U.S.
