Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court case from 2015 that backed same-sex marriages, has joined the organization Family Equality which provides legal support and other assistance to LGBTQ+ families across the United States.
According to a recent press release from the group, “Obergefell will be lending his time and talents to engaging donors and garnering support for Family Equality’s critical work on behalf of LGBTQ+ families in his role as Director of Individual Giving.”
Jim’s new role echoes comments he made when we met for a breakfast interview in February 2017. Two years had passed since the landmark high court ruling, and Jim shared that his life changed completely since the decision, and that his fight for equality was expanding beyond gay rights. In the interview, my 97th meal with a stranger, I wrote: “Gone is the mild-mannered real estate agent from Ohio who never wanted the limelight. In his place is a new civil rights activist who’s still overwhelmed by the public attention but learning to love his inner extrovert as he travels the country to fight not just for gay rights but for civil rights for all minorities.”
I’m still in touch with Jim and it’s always nice to see good news, particularly during the pandemic.
In the press release about his new role with Family Equality, Jim said, “I’m excited to join Family Equality to help advance their vital work to bring about legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ families. When my late husband, John, and I filed suit against the State of Ohio, we did so because we wanted our marriage — our family — to exist in the eyes of our government, and it’s fitting to continue my fight for love and family on behalf of Family Equality.”