For Kat Tenbarge and fiancée Anna Iovine, wedding planning last Christmas came with more than just excitement — it came with fear.
The couple, who live in New York, are set to wed at an art museum in Cincinnati, Ohio, next year so Tenbarge’s elderly grandparents can attend. But alongside booking a venue and dreaming about the big day, they found themselves asking: What if marriage equality is overturned?
“We joked that even if same-sex marriage was reversed, we could at least still have a party,” Tenbarge told PinkNews. “Hopefully, we’d still be able to get a license in New York, even if not in Ohio.”
Fears of Obergefell being overturned
Those worries are far from unique. Research published last year found nearly 80% of married same-sex couples felt “very” or “somewhat” concerned about the Supreme Court potentially overturning Obergefell v. Hodges — the 2015 landmark ruling that legalised same-sex marriage nationwide.
Couples across the US say they feel uncertainty about whether their marriages will remain protected. “It feels like everything is up in the air,” said Gideon Levinson, who is planning his wedding with partner Jacob Rosenblum. “No one feels like anything that has been decided will stay decided.”
Kim Davis resurfaces
The latest challenge stems from former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, who famously refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2015. Davis, who spent six days in jail over her defiance, has asked the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell, arguing it violated her religious freedoms.
Her legal team described the case as “the ideal opportunity to revisit substantive due process” and claimed the decision had “ruinous consequences for religious liberty.”
Lives and weddings on hold
For Tenbarge, the news hit hard. “It’s sad on a number of levels, but it also shows how quickly things can shift in good or bad directions,” she said. “In 2015, I was a queer teenager full of optimism — now it’s sobering to see us back here.”
Some couples have rushed to marry before laws might change. Rosenblum and Levinson wed in Colorado immediately after the 2024 election. “It was a kind of legal insurance policy,” Rosenblum explained.
Protections still remain
Legal experts caution that even if the Supreme Court agreed to hear Davis’ case, the Respect for Marriage Act, signed by President Biden in 2022, requires every state to recognise same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
Still, the uncertainty itself is taking a toll. “Even these discussions make me feel called to be more visible,” Tenbarge said. “There are queer people in red states who deserve to see others living authentically, celebrating love, and not hiding.”
