The Future Of Marriage Equality

WAMU 88.5 | By Haili Blassingame

Published October 21, 2020 at 4:36 PM EDT

Jim Obergefell (C), the lead plaintiff in the same-sex marriage case Obergefell v. Hodges, the case that could determine the constitutionality of marriage for same-sex couples, checks his phone as he walks out of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC.

Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination advanced to the Senate floor on Thursday. The vote to confirm her to the Supreme Court is expected to happen this Monday.

#Breaking: Senate Judiciary sends Amy Comey Barrett to the floor on a 12-0 vote, as Democrats boycott the proceedings. Confirmation vote will be Monday.

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 22, 2020

Over the last few weeks, Barrett was questioned about a number of issues, including the issue of same-sex marriage and the case of Obergefell v. Hodges. The court’s decision in the case in 2015 made marriage equality the law of the land.

Now, some Supreme Court justices have signaled they think that decision should be overturned. Barrett would give the court a solid conservative majority that could see that desire come to fruition.

We’re speaking to Jim Obergefell, the named plaintiff in the 2015 same-sex marriage case and Richard Hodges, the named defendant in the case.

The two have come together to challenge Barrett’s confirmation. What are they doing and why did they feel it was important to do it together?