Equal marriage plaintiff Jim Obergefell endorses Hillary Clinton for President
The widower who led the Supreme Court that brought same-sex marriage to all 50 states has endorsed Hillary Clinton.
Jim Obergefell had sued the state of Ohio prior the death of his husband John Arthur, arguing for the right to be identified as his surviving spouse on his death certificate.
The pair had married in Maryland prior to Mr Arthur’s death, but Ohio refused to acknowledge their marriage had ever existed.
Mr Obergefell became a public figure as the lawsuit escalated, and he became the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that succeeded in affirming same-sex marriage as a constitutional right – in the case now known as ‘Obergefell v Hodges’.
The activist spoke out today to pledge his support for Democratic Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.
In a statement released to PinkNews, he said: “We have fought to not only change laws, but to change hearts, and now we need a president who will help us fight to eliminate the injustices that occur regularly in our community, and the best person to do that is Hillary Clinton.
“Hillary is a proven leader who will not only ensure that states are implementing marriage equality, but will work to end discrimination in our community whether it’s by passing the Equality Act or through state measures.
“I refuse to let Republicans undo the progress that we’ve made, and that is why we need Hillary Clinton in the White House because she will be by our side as we break down barriers and finally reach full equality for all.”
Hillary Clinton said: “Jim made history and changed America for the better by fighting for marriage equality all the way to the Supreme Court.
“There are still too many places where LGBT Americans are targeted for harassment and violence, and there are too many young people who are uncertain and scared of what their future might hold.
“Right now in America, you can get married on Saturday and be fired from your job on Monday just because of who you love.
“I see the injustices that are happening in our country, and that is why I’m committed to working with Jim and others to end discrimination against the LGBT community once and for all.”
The Washington Blade notes he’s also taken to Twitter to specifically condemn anti-LGBT Republican Mike Huckabee – who has pledged to overrule the historic decision if elected.
Mr Obergefell tweeted: “Huckabee: ‘As President I Will Ignore Obergefell’. Obergefell: ‘I ignore Huckabee because he will never be President’.”
