Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the federal marriage equality court case, Obergefell v. Hodges, will speak at the University of Florida on Oct.14.
The event will be hosted by ACCENT Speakers Bureau in partnership with Pride Student Union as part of Pride History Week.
Obergefell met and fell in love with John Arthur, his late husband, in 1992. In 2011, Arthur was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal neurological illness. Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act in June 2013, Obergefell and Arthur married aboard a medical jet on a Maryland airport tarmac.
Subsequently, they filed suit in federal court against the state of Ohio to demand recognition of their lawful marriage on John’s impending death certificate. That suit reached the Supreme Court of the United States and became known as Obergefell v. Hodges. As the court ruled in favor of marriage equality on June 26, 2015, Obergefell could be seen on national news broadcasts standing on the steps of the Supreme Court when he received a congratulatory phone call from the president of the United States. Today, Obergefell considers himself an “accidental activist” who is committed to continuing the fight for equality of all Americans.
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