A landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling 10 years ago this month, on June 26, 2015, legalized same-sex marriage across the U.S.
The Obergefell v. Hodges decision followed years of national wrangling over the issue, during which some states moved to protect domestic partnerships or civil unions for same-sex partners and others declared marriage could exist only between one man and one woman.
In 2008 in California, voters passed Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage. When a federal judge overturned Prop 8 in 2010, that set the stage for the Obergefell v. Hodges decision.
Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo are two of the Proposition 8 plaintiffs, and they joined us to talk about the anniversary.
QUESTION: What has life been like in the past 10 years? How has the court’s decision impacted your lives?
KATAMI: I would say this. It’s going sound funny to say that it hasn’t really, because we already lived as we were married. We just now have over 1,100 federal rights that we were denied when we couldn’t be married. So ultimately our lives have profoundly been better, but also so much the same and enriched by having equal rights.
QUESTION: What did this decision mean to the thousands of other couples who were able to get married?
ZARILLO: Well, those who are similarly situated with us are also now able to protect their families. There are a lot of same-sex couples who are raising children all across the country that are now in a one family unit, and they feel safe. They feel protected. They feel like an authentic family and the ruling help make that happen.
QUESTION: With the current political climate and the makeup of the Supreme Court, many people are worried that the rights of LGBTQ+ community members could be targeted. We know there are different opinions when it comes to this. Are you afraid that your rights could be taken away?
KATAMI: Absolutely. We have to always understand that throughout history, trying to overcome oppression and discrimination is part of being an American. I think that right now visibility is very important. Being out, being proud, especially in this month, makes a statement. It helps us move hearts and minds, because we are feeling that fear of being erased. We’re hearing it a lot from our friends. We’re hearing it a lot from our colleagues that are afraid that we’re going move back in history. So now more than ever, visibility is the most powerful thing that we could do. Speaking out and speaking loud about our rights and who we are as humans and as Americans is really going to help change the course of the future.
QUESTION: Let’s talk about public opinion. There continues to be a big shift in the public views on same-sex marriage. A recent Gallup poll shows nearly 70% of Americans believe same-sex marriage should be recognized. Do you think that could really help the cause?
ZARILLO: Absolutely. When we started our lawsuit way back in 2009, public opinion was 40/60 against us. When our ruling was decided, it was 60/40 in favor of us. I think as same-sex couples can live their authentic lives, and they’re around family and friends and coworkers and their fellow parishioners, people understand that we’re just like everybody else. Public opinion matters, and the courts look at that as well. A lot of the time, the American people tend to be ahead of the courts.
QUESTION: How will you be celebrating the anniversary? Is there a reason to celebrate, amidst all of this?
KATAMI: Absolutely. We all know that Pride Month started as a riot, people standing up for what and who they are. Celebrating Pride is a big part of it. Joy is, in itself, a vehicle to being out, being open, having our lives represented properly. And I think that when we take Pride Month into the rest of the year, what we do is inspire ourselves to understand that pride really begins in the mirror. It begins with each one of us. And as we network in that pride, we actually find our allies outside of our LGBTQ+ community. And we start to grow this idea that joy can also be a really powerful movement.