1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

The hard-won right to same-sex marriage, established by the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015, is under threat. Recent developments suggest that the Supreme Court may be poised to reconsider this crucial civil rights victory, potentially stripping millions of Americans of their fundamental right to marry. The current 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court differs significantly from the Court that decided Obergefell. Three sitting justices—Roberts, Thomas, and Alito—dissented in the original decision, opposing the constitutional right to same-sex marriage. The Court's recent willingness to overturn longstanding precedents, as demonstrated in the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, raises serious concerns about the future of marriage equality. The Court's emphasis on the 'history and tradition' test in Dobbs could be devastating if applied to same-sex marriage, which lacks historical precedent. Additionally, recent Court decisions have prioritized First Amendment religious rights over other constitutional protections, further jeopardizing LGBTQ+ rights. While the 2022 Respect for Marriage Act was a step in the right direction, it falls short of fully protecting same-sex marriage rights. It only requires federal recognition of existing marriages and does not prevent the Supreme Court from allowing states to decide on same-sex marriage recognition in the future. I urge you to take immediate action to protect this fundamental civil right. We need comprehensive federal legislation that explicitly guarantees the right to same-sex marriage nationwide, regardless of potential Supreme Court decisions. This legislation must go beyond the Respect for Marriage Act to ensure that no state can deny marriage rights to same-sex couples. Time is of the essence. The Supreme Court is expected to decide in early October whether to hear a case that could potentially overturn Obergefell. We cannot leave the fate of millions of American families in the hands of an increasingly conservative Court. Act now to enshrine marriage equality into law and protect this monumental civil rights achievement for generations to come.