Months After SCOTUS Refuses to Revisit Marriage Equality, HRC Celebrates 11 Years of Love

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson issued the following statement: 

“Eleven years ago, the Supreme Court affirmed what our community has always known to be true: that love is love, and that every family deserves equal protection under the law. More than a decade later, marriage equality has transformed millions of lives. This past year, when our opponents asked the Court to tear it down, the justices left it standing. That is a testament to how deeply marriage equality has taken root in American life, and to everyone who has spent a decade defending it. 

But we are clear-eyed about the threats ahead. We are living through a coordinated, well-funded campaign to roll back our rights – from state resolutions urging the Court to revisit Obergefell to a relentless assault on transgender Americans. So today we do two things at once: we celebrate the joy and dignity of marriage equality, and we recommit to protecting it. Now is the time to make our voices heard. Because love is not only our joy. It’s an act of defiance. That’s why this anniversary is both a celebration of love, family, and resilience and a reminder that our rights must be defended and strengthened in every state, so that every LGBTQ+ person can live, work, and learn with dignity and joy.” 

According to data from the Williams Institute, 823,000 same-sex couples are now legally married—more than twice the number in 2015. These couples are raising 299,000 children under 18. Additionally, southern states saw the largest increase, from 38% to 59% of cohabiting couples married between 2014–2023. 

In addition to Obergefell, in 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act — which HRC fought to enshrine federal protections of marriage regardless of future court rulings. In the same year, Justice Thomas signaled a threat to Obergefell in his Dobbs concurrence, and state legislatures and right-wing funded groups continue to attempt to undermine marriage, with recent polling showing a decline among Republicans in support. According to Gallup, “in 2021 and 2022, 55% of Republicans said they favored legal same-sex marriage, but today, the figure is 37%.” 

Read more about the journey to marriage equality and HRC’s work in changing hearts and minds in order to achieve the historic milestone. 

 The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.