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A resolution recognizing the tenth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized marriage equality in Tennessee and across the United States.
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WHEREAS, on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which recognized marriage as a fundamental right guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and
WHEREAS, the opinion legalized same-sex marriage in Tennessee, and same-sex marriages started taking place in Nashville and Davidson County hours after the ruling; and
WHEREAS, the case involved three Tennessee couples, who sued the state in Tanco v. Haslam in an effort to have their marriages from other states recognized in Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, the attorneys for the Tanco plaintiffs included Nashville residents Abby Rubenfeld and Willliam Harbison, who advocated for these couples at federal district and appellate courts up to the Supreme Court; and
WHEREAS, since marriage equality became reality ten years ago, United States Census data shows that more than 10,000 Tennesseans have entered same-sex marriages; and
WHEREAS, the Respect for Marriage Act was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2021. The law compels all U.S. states and territories to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages if performed in a jurisdiction where such marriages are legally performed; and
WHEREAS, LGBTQIA+ community advocates fight to preserve these and other rights and defend the community from discrimination by statute and policy; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper for the Metropolitan Council recognize the 10-year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the progress made in the LGBTQIA+ community in the decade since, and the continued work needed to preserve this fundamental right in the years to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as recognizing the tenth anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges and the legalization of same-sex marriage in Tennessee and across the United States.
Section 2. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.