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Same-sex marriage warriors: Legalization ruling at risk

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Published  June 26, 2025 6:07pm CDT
Politics
FOX 9
Same-sex marriage: 10 years later

Same-sex marriage: 10 years later

This Pride month celebrates the 10-year anniversary of a U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. FOX 9’s Corin Hoggard looks back at the pivotal decision.

The Brief

    • The U.S. Supreme Court legalized same sex marriage nationwide in the 5-4 Obergefell ruling on June 26, 2015.
    • Minnesota had legalized it two years earlier as it faced a lawsuit from three couples who wanted the state to recognize their legal marriages in other states.
    • Some people involved in the legal battles believe Obergefell could come undone in the near future, following the same pattern as Roe v. Wade.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota played a key role in the U.S. Supreme Court's Obergefell ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide 10 years ago, on June 26.

But now, some of the people involved in that fight feel like the win is at risk.

Minnesota moves

Legalized marriage:

Same-sex couples had the Minneapolis mayor and the law on their side when they got married starting in 2013.

Two years later, the Timberwolves drafted Karl-Anthony Towns first overall and the Supreme Court okayed same-sex marriages nationwide.

"In many ways the roots of the Obergefell case were here in Minnesota, yet the ruling in Obergefell had no impact in Minnesota because Minnesota had already been one of the few states that allowed same-sex marriage," said attorney Marshall Tanick.

Tanick helped with the Marry Me Minnesota lawsuits that forced the issue.

Coming undone? 

Pulling the thread:

Ten years after Obergefell, he’s seeing signs it may come undone with a different Court, just like Roe v Wade.

Justice Clarence Thomas has suggested revisiting Obergefell and a few states are taking similar steps to the ones they made to challenge the abortion ruling.

"It may take a few years to get there and it depends of on the composition of the Court," he said, noting the current composition seems likely to overturn Obergefell if given the chance. "There certainly is a significant risk that Obergefell could fall."

Public support

'Just people':

Gallup polling shows almost 70% of Americans approve of same sex marriage.

Since Obergefell, about 600,000 same sex couples have gotten married, including Kristen Ostendorf and her partner Amy who tied the knot three weeks after the Obergefell decision.

She says they play games, watch TV, and pick up dog poop — a life that shocked one friend who came over for dinner.

"The next day she said to me, ‘you know, you live the most boring, normal life,'" Ostendorf said. "And I thought, well, of course we do. We're just people."

But the official document is important because it gives couples legal rights they otherwise might not have — including tax benefits, healthcare coverage and decisions, and estate planning.

PoliticsSupreme CourtMinnesota