Welcome to The JustMarried Project: Preserving Marriage Equality

For those of you unfamiliar with JustMarried –our project weaves together the brave love stories of couples who came out and told their stories, triumphantly, capturing the compassion and consciousness of a nation– winning Marriage Equality in the U.S.

A human right we must protect.

Many of these couples, whose stories span over seven decades, were unable to marry. But their narratives slowly created social change. JustMarried has been researching for our historically important Docuseries, Serialized Podcast and artful, archival Coffee-Table Book since 2004, when Hillary and Julie Goodridge first won the right to marry for all in Massachusetts. And California voted to remove the right. The Goodridge's story, like all in our series, was born from a desire to love, protect and create a family just like anyone else.

Each couple's powerful story brought new understandings about our community's desire to be able to legally marry the person they love. To be acknowledged by their family, friends and government. To have the 1138 rights, privileges and protections of marriage. And most importantly–the dignity this all affords.

The goal of this project is to ensure that our heroes stories are preserved for future generations and to help others understand why it’s essential, to the dignity of each individual and family in the LGBTQ+ community, that we keep these rights.

The recent 303 Creative Supreme Court case decision just allowed businesses to legally discriminate against our community. Justice Clarence Thomas’ has also expressed an overt desire to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges–the case that won Marriage Equality for all. Both are alarming.

So we decided to create an addition to the Just Married Project with the?launch?of?this monthly newsletter–your?portal for news affecting LGBTQ+ families and Marriage Equality?specifically.

With 4 Supreme Court Justices now on record opposing the Obergefell decision–and the courts' willingness to overturn decades and decades of precedent–as with Roe v. Wade, we feel it's time to get all hands on deck.

If Obergefell is overturned, The Respect For Marriage Act won't protect everyone. Similar to what is happening across this country?following the repeal of?Roe v. Wade, 29 states that still have anti-Marriage Equality laws on the books, could immediately cease issuing marriage licenses in their states. This would crush the hopes of?those?LGBTQ+ couples?not living in more liberal states and take a sledgehammer to our community’s newly found dignity.

Kris Perry and Sandy Stier remember what that was like not that long ago.?

The couple, who helped overturn?California’s Prop 8–a voter passed law that took away the right to marry in California, explain it best:

One of the best tools we have to create?change are the?stories?we?share?about ourselves.?

And on that note: We are delighted to announce that Jim Obergefell has recently come on board as Producer for this important project which embodies 17+ years of documentation through today. Jim and his husband John's powerful story, like all those in the JustMarried Project, illustrates the profound need to protect?this law, this human right.

The JustMarried Project 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–'Saying I Do'.

If you’d like to learn more about what our project is all about go to: justmarried.us !

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Frankie, Lynn, Jason and Jim