| Jim Obergefell | |
| Birth Date: | 7 July 1966 |
| Birth Place: | Sandusky, Ohio, U.S. |
| Known For: | Plaintiff in Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Education: | University of Cincinnati (BA) Bowling Green State University |
James Obergefell (; born July 7, 1966) is an American civil rights activist who was the lead plaintiff in the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage throughout the United States.[1] Obergefell had sued the state of Ohio in 2013, due to the state's lack of legal recognition of Obergefell's marriage to his husband, John Arthur (1967–2013).[2] Obergefell was the Democratic nominee for the 89th legislative district of the Ohio House of Representatives in the 2022 elections.
James Obergefell[3] [4] was born on July 7, 1966.[5] [6]
Obergefell graduated from Sandusky High School in 1984[7] and went on to attend the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a degree in secondary education and German.[8] He attended graduate school at Bowling Green State University. Out of college, he was a high school German teacher. In his mid-twenties, Obergefell came out to his eldest sister. At the time, his mother was dead, but the rest of his family was not too surprised by his announcement. While his father was not always supportive, Obergefell found a strong relationship with his aunt Paulette.[9] Obergefell began to attend an Episcopal Church but later declared himself an atheist.[10]
In 2011, Obergefell's longtime partner John Arthur was diagnosed with ALS. In July 2013, Obergefell and a gravely ill Arthur were legally married in Maryland. However, after meeting with Al Gerhardstein, a civil rights attorney, they were told that due to Ohio's same-sex marriage ban, Obergefell could not be listed as Arthur's surviving spouse on his death certificate.
They filed a lawsuit, and the Ohio case became known as Obergefell v. Kasich.[11] A federal judge agreed to hear the case the following court day due to Arthur's illness.[12] The judge ruled in Obergefell's favor, but the state of Ohio appealed to a higher court and won, resulting in Obergefell's appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Arthur died in October 2013, and soon Obergefell devoted his time and became committed to legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide with the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges.
The two questions that would drive Obergefell's appeal to court would be: 1) whether it was constitutional for states to discriminate between gay and straight couples in granting marriage licenses, and 2) whether the Constitution required every state to recognize legal marriages of same sex couples who were married in another state. Obergefell v. Hodges was decided on Friday, June 26, 2015, with five of the nine Supreme Court justices ruling in Obergefell's favor. Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the majority opinion for the case, stated in the court: “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were.”[13] After winning the case, Obergefell stated, "It affirms what millions across the country already know to be true in their hearts: our love is equal. The four words etched onto the front of the Supreme Court 'equal justice under law' apply to us, too." President Barack Obama reached out to congratulate Obergefell and thanked him for "his leadership that has changed our country."
When Justice Kennedy retired in 2018, Obergefell was very vocal in the media on his opinions of the judge's decision to resign. Obergefell admitted to feeling "despondent" because he believed the loss of Justice Kennedy could have repercussions, especially for the LGBTQ+ community.[14] Obergefell believes Justice Kennedy's legacy was undermined by his decision to retire during a Trump presidency. Obergefell stated on the issue that "I wouldn't trust any Justice nominated by this president to respect and protect LGBTQ+ rights."[15] Obergefell also was in the press when he was invited by Michelle Obama to attend Obama's final State of the Union address. When asked about why he received the honor to sit in the box of the First Lady, Obergefell said: "We the People. This core American belief is why the other marriage-equality plaintiffs and I, and so many others before us, stood up to fight for our rights."[16]
Prior to his experience in court, Obergefell was a consultant and realtor in Ohio.[17] He consulted along with his partner Arthur. After the case won in the Supreme Court in 2015, Obergefell spent a year traveling around the globe to speak about the case and his own life. Obergefell has made it clear he did not take his case to court for financial reasons. According to Obergefell, federal recognition of his marriage means he would only receive $255 in additional Social Security benefits and potentially a small disability benefit when he retires.[18]
Obergefell cofounded Equality Vines after the trial, the first cause-based wine label that supports organizations devoted to civil rights and equality for all. He works with Keppler Speakers as a speaker and an activist.[19] He also co-authored the book Love Wins (2017) with Debbie Cenziper. The book explores the lives of the lovers and lawyers who were essential to the victory of Obergefell v. Hodges. Obergefell volunteers to officiate weddings, having officiated at eight same-sex weddings and one opposite-sex wedding after winning his case.
In February 2016, soon after the court ruling, Obergefell moved to Washington, D.C., to continue pursuing his political endeavors.[20] After three years of activism in Washington, Obergefell decided, in 2019, to move back to Ohio to reclaim his roots, return to his role as an uncle to 17, and announce a new act. When asked about his favorite memory from his time in D.C., Obergefell said, "To be in that courtroom and have it finally sink in as Justice Kennedy [read] the decision that we won, and that John could finally rest in peace. And that people like us around the country could get married, it's hard to top that." In a 2019 interview with Washington, D.C.-based station WUSA (TV), Obergefell said he was looking forward to working on advancing LGBT and minority rights on a state level, starting with his home state of Ohio, since additional federal progress didn't seem attainable at the time.
In January of 2022, Jim Obergefell ran for the Ohio House of Representatives for Ohio's 89th legislative district covering Erie, Huron, and Ottawa counties.[21] In the August 2022 Democratic primaries, Obergefell ran unopposed and won.[22] He was defeated by Republican incumbent D. J. Swearingen, who won re-election.[23]
In the early 1990s, at Uncle Woody's, a bar near the University of Cincinnati, Obergefell met John Arthur, the man he would eventually marry. They began dating, moved in together, and worked in IT consulting and client relations management at several companies. After years of being together, Arthur was diagnosed with ALS. Obergefell acted as Arthur's caretaker for the rest of their relationship. By 2013, Arthur became bed bound, and Obergefell and Arthur decided to get married. Same-sex marriage was illegal in their home state of Ohio, so in order to get married, they would have to go to another state.[24] Close friends and family of the couple pooled together to rent a medically equipped plane for the couple to travel for their wedding.[25] On July 11, 2013, the couple got an ambulance to escort Arthur to a private plane that flew Arthur, Obergefell, a nurse, and Arthur's aunt, who performed the ceremony, to Baltimore/Washington International Airport in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, where the marriage ceremony was performed while the plane sat on the tarmac.[26] After 22 years of being together, Arthur died on October 22, 2013.[27]
In 2016, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati honored Obergefell with the Everyday Freedom Hero award. The award is given to people whose actions reflect the ideals of the underground railroad.[28] The city council of Cincinnati made April 28, the day of the Oral Arguments, John Arthur Day as a tribute to the Supreme Court case from the two men who lived there together for two decades. The mayor of the city, John Cranley, referred to Obergefell as a "historic figure" for their city and the country.[29] In 2015, Foreign Policy named Obergefell one of its 2015 Global Thinkers. In the same year, Out magazine also named Obergefell on its 2015 Out 100 list. Obergefell was also appointed to be a member of the National Advisory Board for the GLBT Historical Society and the Board of Advisors for the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C. Obergefell has also been honored by the ACLU of Southern California, the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and the Santa Clara University School of Law.[30]