A Decade of Marriage Equality. A Lifetime of Work Ahead.

This month marks ten years since the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which made marriage equality the law of the land. For many of us, June 26, 2015, was a day of celebration—one that brought long-overdue recognition to the love and dignity of same-sex couples across the country.

But that victory wasn’t the beginning of the story—and it certainly wasn’t the end.

It came after decades of brave, quiet resistance: couples building families without legal protection, navigating hospitals without visitation rights, and losing homes and inheritance after losing a partner. It came after countless activists, caregivers, and ordinary people refused to give up. It stood on the shoulders of those who fought at Stonewall, who mourned during the AIDS crisis, who organized for a future they weren’t sure they’d live to see.

And even now, ten years later, the fight continues.

Today, it’s trans youth who are under attack. It’s teachers and healthcare providers. It’s drag performers, librarians, and families just trying to live safely and authentically. The rhetoric may be different, but the goal is the same: to push LGBTQ+ people back into the margins and make our rights seem negotiable.

We can’t let that happen. Not here. Not anywhere.

Here in West Virginia, we’ve been told to wait. To shrink ourselves. To stay quiet while others debate our humanity. And still—we keep showing up. Because we know our lives matter. Because we know our love is powerful. And because justice never happens on its own. It must be pursued.

There’s a phrase from Jewish tradition that speaks to this moment: tzedek, tzedek tirdof—“Justice, justice shall you pursue.” It’s a reminder that justice takes action. That it takes all of us.

So today, we remember what we’ve won. And we recommit ourselves to what comes next.

Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for showing up for our community—not just in moments of celebration, but in the everyday fight to build a world where LGBTQ+ people are not just tolerated, but truly free.

Yours in Fairness,

Andrew Schneider
Executive Director