Preserving Love, Protecting Our Rights

A Note From Jim Obergefell.

In moments like these, I find myself thinking: What’s within my power to do? Here’s a meaningful step: We can keep pushing for change, ensuring every child feels empowered and unafraid.

For less than a decade, the LGBTQ+ community has embraced the hard-earned freedom to marry—and the dignity it has brought us as more equal citizens. We’ve felt its tangible, day-to-day impact: stronger families, respect in our communities, financial and relationship stability, and a brighter future for our children. But now, that right is in jeopardy. With Project 2025 backing a new administration and a Supreme Court signaling a rollback of marriage equality, the stakes couldn’t be higher. We must protect the rights, protections, and dignity marriage provides.

The JustMarried Project celebrates the brave individuals whose love and courage changed the world. They made our world a better place, all in the face of adversity. These stories are not only a tribute to our history but a roadmap for resistance—a powerful tool to inspire and protect our community for generations to come. As we have learned throughout the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, stories change hearts and minds.

Why Your Support Matters

For the LGBTQ+ community, history and heroes have often been out of reach. The forces determined to dismantle equality thrive on erasure and invisibility. The JustMarried Project fights back by staying defiantly visible through storytelling, education, and action. Our book, LOVE: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality, and the serialized podcast that delves deeper into the stories in the book—both releasing next year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of marriage equality—are filled with seven decades of heroic LGBTQ+ history.

Together, we can:

Inspire the Next Generation: These stories provide hope, resilience, and actionable lessons for those who continue the fight for equality.

Build a Nationwide Presence: By sending books to libraries, hosting events, and sharing these stories, we’ll ensure every corner of the country is touched by the power of love and dignity.

Push Back Against Injustice: Justices like Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have already signaled their intent to revisit Obergefell v. Hodges, the court case that won national marriage equality. Our stories are the antidote to discrimination.

Go here now to send a book to a library. We have 9 days to raise the funds we need to get these books out, free of charged, to kids that most need these stories.

With a new administration poised to strip away our vital family rights and protections, complacency is not an option. To quote Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, whose landmark Supreme Court case restored marriage equality to California in 2013

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The stakes are higher than ever. Go here to help us ensure that these stories—the stories that changed hearts, minds, and laws—reach every corner of our nation, especially as the forces of censorship and discrimination rise. Let’s make sure these stories don’t disappear.

These are the heroic stories our community needs right now. Send a book to a library.

On a Personal Note?

In 2013, John Arthur, my partner of more than 20 years, was nearing the end of his life due to ALS. After watching news of Edie Windsor’s win at the Supreme Court, overturning the federal Defense of Marriage Act, I leaned over to John and proposed. He said “Yes!”

Unable to marry in our home state of Ohio, we exchanged vows aboard a medical jet on a Maryland tarmac, the only way John could travel. But back home, our marriage wasn’t recognized.

John wanted to die with dignity, and we wanted our love and marriage to exist in the eyes of the state we called home. We wanted his death certificate to record the truth, that he wasn’t single. Because he wasn’t.?

So, we filed a lawsuit, fighting to ensure John’s death certificate reflected our lawful union. A judge in federal district court ruled in our favor, and John died a married man three months later. But then Ohio appealed our win, setting the stage for the 2015 Supreme Court ruling in our favor, recognizing our marriage and establishing the right to marriage equality nationwide. Our love became part of history.??

With your support today, the JustMarried Project will remind our nation of the power of marriage, why we fought for it, and why future generations deserve the right to say “I do” to the person they love

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What We’re Building Together

A Book That Inspires Action LOVE: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality is a stunning coffee-table book launching in 2025 with Rizzoli Books. It captures the triumphs and struggles of couples and activists who transformed marriage equality into reality and each true story embodies the long fight for social inclusion, dignity and 1138 rights & protections granted to citizens with federal marriage rights.?

Serialized Podcast In Spring 2025, we’ll launch deeply personal and moving episodes that bring these stories to life.

Aspirations Program For every $55, we’ll send a book to an underserved area or library, ensuring these vital histories reach those who need them most. For $75, send a book and help us promote these vital stories.

Docuseries in Development Our 8-part series will amplify these stories on screen, showcasing the love and courage that shaped history.

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Send a few books to a library, or send a truly meaningful wedding gift that will last a lifetime. Click here, we have the power to push back against the backsliding of our rights.

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The Beauty of the Collection: The love stories. An unparalleled, seven decades of LGBTQ+ history, from a community that has not only been denied its history, but also, its heroes. The Magic: Witnessing these brave individuals come out for love, to protect their relationships and gain the long sought after dignity that comes with true, equal, citizenship.

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How You Can Help

Donate Now: Be a part of this movement. Every dollar helps.

Spread the Word: Share this campaign with your friends, family, and networks.

Engage Locally: Send books to your library, host events, and start conversations in your community.

Stay Visible: Post your wedding pictures, engagement stories, or a simple message of love on social media with #JustMarriedUs

Whether you are able to give now or not, please help us get the word out!? FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER! Blow a whistle, wave a rainbow flag, flash your engagement ring, scroll through your wedding pics and let everyone you know about The JustMarried Project!

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Your support helps ensure these stories reach those who need them most—whether it’s kids finding heroes in their local library, listeners discovering resilience in a podcast, or families inspired by stories of triumph over adversity.

One of the best tools we have to create?change– Are the?stories?we?share?about our lives.

If you'd like to see how you can help our project, message a team member below or consider donating. Every dollar counts in helping us promote the importance of safeguarding the right for all families to have the 1138 federal rights, privileges and protections provided in legal marriage.

We will continue to?bring you?new, beautiful and brave stories while keeping you informed about the latest on marriage equality.

We’re all in this together and we are stronger in numbers. Thank you for signing up for our newsletter and 'Saying I Do'.

If you’d like to learn more about our project go to: justmarried.us –Sign up for the latest release of each piece of the project because the freedom to marry is essential to protect!

If you have a compelling marriage equality love story you'd like to share for potential use in our project, please tell us about it here.

Know someone who cares about maintaining marriage rights or would like to just hear The Heroic Love Stories Of Marriage Equality? Share this newsletter with them directly or your network by clicking the “Share” button below! Sharing is definitely caring!

Thank You!?

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Jim Obergefell and the other producers at JustMarried!

Frankie Frankeny, Jason Dorn and Lynn Mueting