The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Nov. 10 that it would not reconsider changing its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which had legalized same-sex marriage in the United States. The ruling was brought to reconsideration after a former county clerk from Kentucky refused to issue a marriage license to a gay couple and petitioned in court that same-sex marriage “had no basis in the Constitution.” No reasons were given by the Supreme Court for denying the petition and it never reached the four vote minimum to consider the case.
“I had an overwhelming sense of relief when I heard. I cried a little bit,” science teacher Kayla Iannetta said.
The Obergefell v. Hodges was a Supreme Court decision that affirmed same-sex marriage into the fourteenth amendment and protected by the U.S. Constitution. Connecticut had already legalized the practice in 2008, but the case confirmed it as a right of all U.S. citizens after the case.
Same-sex marriage has always been an important topic for the queer communities and people in Westport. In a 06880 article, Dan Woog interviews Westporters who went to a rally outside of the Supreme Court back when the case was being actively debated and argued in 2015. If this case had been overturned, many Westporters in the LGBTQ community would feel its aftereffects.
“If this had been overturned, it could have been a really big deal for people’s marriage security, adoption, security insurance, security rights to their partner after life,” Iannetta said.
The refusal is not just a refusal to overturn a piece of legislature, but for many Westporters, it’s proof that the things they fought for will stand strong against opposition, but they say they must continue this fight for what they believe is right.
“People I talk to in legislation and I] all feel similarly that they’re not done attacking this,” Iannetta said.
