As the Social Justice Curator, I spend my days walking through history so that I can make better sense of the present and do my part to help build a future where we all can collectively flourish. Through this work, I explore hidden histories and understated narratives of individuals and communities that inspire hope and possibility.
Jim Obergefell (left), Social Justice Curator, Trudy Gaba (center), Clarity Amrein and Zach Gerberick, Cincinnati Public Library (right)
Jim Obergefell happens to be one of those individuals. Some may not know him by name, but many know the impact his landmark Supreme Court case, Obergefell v. Hodges, had on LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. June 26th, 2025 will mark the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that made marriage legal for same-sex couples nationwide. I had the extraordinary opportunity to take part in an oral history interview with Jim Obergefell and Al Gerhardstein, local Cincinnati civil rights attorney and lead counsel in Obergefell v. Hodges, earlier this year. In partnership with the Cincinnati Public Library’s Catherine C. and Thomas E. Huenefeld Story Center, we were privileged to hear more about his personal biography as a native Ohioan, growing up in Sandusky, OH, and what life was like with his late husband John.
Jim and John’s first meeting took place at Uncle Woody’s, a bar near the University of Cincinnati’s campus. Jim recalls seeing John sitting at the bar drinking a Gin and Tonic. It wasn’t until their third encounter on New Year’s Eve in 1992 that they became a couple. Jim teased, “For us, it wasn’t love at first sight. It was love at third sight….I went to John’s NYE party in Hyde Park and never left.”
Nearly seven weeks later, John proposed with a diamond ring, and from that point on, Jim and John were a family for nearly 21 years, building a happy life together here in Cincinnati.
In 2011, the unexpected happened—John was diagnosed with ALS and the future they envisioned of growing old together became uncertain. While there was no certainty for what tomorrow held, one truth remained clear to both of them, they wanted to be able to call each other husband and husband. On June 26th, 2013, John and Jim heard the news of the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Windsor, which ruled that section three of the “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) was unconstitutional. The federal government could not discriminate against married lesbians and gay couples to determine federal benefits and protections.
A Sign in Over-the-Rhine honoring John Arthur and Jim Obergefell, Image Source: The Enquirer/ Mariel Padilla
This meant that Jim and John could finally wed and at least have the federal government recognize their union. With the help of friends and family, Jim, and a very ill John, flew by medical jet to briefly land on the tarmac of the Baltimore Washington International Airport to exchange their vows. Ohio had its own state-level “Defense of Marriage Act” which meant Jim and John were unable to apply for a marriage license in Ohio and needed to wed in a state that would allow them to legally marry.
Al Gerhardstein, a local civil rights attorney in Cincinnati, heard about their story and knew what reality was awaiting the newly married couple. He showed them a blank death certificate where Jim’s name would not appear as the surviving spouse of John as the state did not recognize their marriage. That did not sit right with them and so their fight began.
Nearly a week after they got married, they filed a lawsuit in federal district court suing the governor of Ohio, John Kasich, and the attorney general, Mike DeWine. They won. The federal judge ruled in their favor, and when John passed away three months later, Jim’s name was in the proper place on his death certificate.
The fight did not end there.
After Ohio appealed the ruling, Jim kept fighting all the way to the Supreme Court. Jim became the named plaintiff in the marriage equality case, Jim Obergefell v. Hodges, which ruled that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. This victory changed the future of LGBTQ+ Rights across the nation. After the verdict was announced, Jim left the courtroom to a sea of reporters and said, “Our love is equal.”
Jim said he never considered himself an activist—someone on the front lines of a protest, but there’s no one definition for advocacy and activism. Jim is proof of that. Love is foundational to every movement for social justice, and it was the driving force for Jim. He fought for his love and won.
While we celebrate and reflect upon the 10th anniversary of a ruling that changed the lives of millions of Americans, we must also look to the future as the fight for LGBTQ+ rights continues.
In the face of hate, love can win. Jim and John’s story is that truth embodied.
If you are interested in learning more about Jim Obergefell, watch the full oral history recording.
