Saint Louis University’s Rainbow Alliance hosted Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges — the landmark U.S. Supreme Court marriage equality case — for a speaker event on Nov. 8.
According to Lane Hartman, the president of Rainbow Alliance, Obergefell is a renowned speaker and civil rights activist who “draws from his experience to move and empower audiences to stand by their beliefs and prove that love always wins.”
In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry under the due process clause and equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in Obergefell v. Hodges. Obergefell, the lead plaintiff, shared his story with the SLU community.
Hartman facilitated a conversation with Obergefell before moving into a question and answer section with the audience.
Obergefell and his late husband, John Arthur, were married for 22 years. They got married in Maryland and lived in Ohio. However, as John was nearing the end of his life, attorneys informed them that John’s death certificate would not identify him as a married man or identify Obergefell as his surviving spouse since same-sex marriage was not legal in Ohio.
“We thought, ‘do we want to do something about this?’ and we did,” Obergefell said. “That something was filing the lawsuit in the federal district court, and we went from there.”
Although Obergefell didn’t always see activism in his future, he was thrust into the world of advocacy and activism when he decided to do something about his marriage rights.
“I’ve lived firsthand what it means to do what’s right and to actually make things better for others, and I can’t stop. I have to keep doing that,” Obergefell said. “I’m definitely an activist and advocate, not just for the queer community, but for all marginalized communities, and really, for civil rights. That’s just who I’ve become.”
For some SLU students in attendance, getting to see one of their heroes was awe-inducing.
“I think it’s really rare to meet queer icons like this,to have the opportunity to meet someone who has paved the way is huge,” said MJ Poss, a fifth year undergraduate student.
Poss also got to meet Obergefell after the event and take a picture with him.
“I didn’t know what to say,” Poss said. “I told him that getting to see that there are successful queer adults is genuinely a really big thing for me.”
For Hartman, the speaker event is his favorite Rainbow Alliance event of the year.
“For so many of us, we can remember where we were, and the impact that the Obergefell decision had and continues to have on our lives,” Hartman said. “It was so amazing to be able to interact with someone who is nearly synonymous with the fight for marriage equality.”
Nate Reyes, the vice president of Rainbow Alliance, was deeply impacted with Obergefell speaking to SLU students.
“Having Jim talk to SLU students and Rainbow Alliance members about advocacy and identity clearly made a huge impact on our understanding and experiences as an LGBTQ+ community,” Reyes said.
Throughout his talk, Obergefell acknowledged the tense U.S. political and social climate, and how it can be incredibly scary for queer people. He finds hope in the younger generations and encourages them to get involved in advocacy and to vote in every election.
“Find organizations that fight for the things you care about. Follow them. Get their emails, volunteer. If you have the opportunity, go speak in front of your city council or your state legislature,” Obergefell said. “The more they hear from people who believe in equality, humanity and civil rights, the better things will be.”
Aside from political advocacy, Obergefell thinks that one-on-one conversations and storytelling are just as important.
“A lot of it comes down to conversations,” Obergefell said. “It’s those one-on-one conversations we have with people that change hearts and minds.”
