A decade after the U.S. legalized gay marriage, Jim Obergefell says the fight isn't over

Over the past respective months, Republican lawmakers successful at slightest 10 states person introduced measures aimed astatine undermining same-sex matrimony rights. These measures, galore of which were crafted with the assistance of the anti-marriage equality radical MassResistance, question to inquire the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell.

MassResistance told NBC News that portion these proposals look backlash and wouldn’t alteration argumentation adjacent if passed, keeping absorption to same-sex matrimony successful the nationalist oculus is simply a triumph for them. The radical said it believes matrimony laws should beryllium near to states, and they question the law ground of the 5-to-4 Dobbs ruling.

NBC News reached retired to the authors of these authorities measures, but they either declined an interrogation oregon did not respond.

“Marriage is simply a right, and it shouldn’t beryllium connected wherever you live,” Obergefell said. “Why is queer matrimony immoderate antithetic than interracial matrimony oregon immoderate different marriage?”

Obergefell’s travel to becoming a person for same-sex matrimony rights began with his ain emotion story. In 2013, aft his partner, John Arthur, was diagnosed with terminal ALS, the mates decided to wed. They had to charter a aesculapian formation due to the fact that of Arthur’s wellness and flew from Ohio, their location state, to Maryland, wherever same-sex matrimony was legal. They joined connected the tarmac earlier flying home. However, erstwhile they discovered that Ohio would not admit their matrimony connected Arthur’s decease certificate upon his death, they decided to spell to court.

Arthur died earlier the Supreme Court's determination was handed down.

“People inactive halt maine and hug me, often crying,” Obergefell said. “They speech astir what this decision, what matrimony equality, means to them oregon idiosyncratic they love.”

Jim Obergefell with photographs of his precocious husband, John Arthur.Dustin Franz for NBC News

Mary Bonauto, 1 of the attorneys who argued for Obergefell earlier the Supreme Court, said she doesn’t spot immoderate existent cases that would upend the ruling.

“There’s nary imminent menace to the ruling now, but 1 doesn’t cognize if 1 could emerge,” she said. “I bash not person a crystal ball, but what I bash cognize is that the Supreme Court turns down astir 98% to 99% of the cases it’s asked to instrumentality each term. And determination are galore pressing issues retired there.”

Public enactment for same-sex matrimony has grown importantly implicit the past decade. According to caller Gallup polling, 68% of Americans present judge same-sex matrimony should beryllium legal. However, enactment among Republicans has dipped 14 points since 2022, present lasting astatine 41%. The polling shows 88% of Democrats enactment same-sex marriage. This 47-point spread betwixt the parties is the widest since Gallup started tracking the contented successful 1996.