U.S.A.: Marriage equality was legalised 10 years ago this week. Politicians & advocates are celebrating.

This week is the tenth anniversary of the U.S.A. Supreme Court’s ruling on June 26, 2015, in Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark decision that granted the right to same-sex marriage to gay and lesbian couples across all 50 states, according to ‘LGBTQ Nation’. As highlighted by the Democratic Legislative Committee in a statement this week, it was a transformative moment in the decades-long and continuing struggle for LGBTQ+ equality.

In celebration of what some have dubbed ‘Equality Day,’ lawmakers, LGBTQ+ advocates, allies, and organisations have taken to social media to mark a decade of marriage equality in the U.S.A. The Democratic Legislative Committee, in its statement, acknowledged the state-level efforts that laid the foundation for this national achievement and the ongoing work of Democratic state legislators “to protect every American’s civil rights – even in the face of unprecedented and dangerous anti-LGBTQ+ policies that state Republicans” are advancing, as well as the current administration, according to JoeMyGod.

“10 years ago today, we won the freedom to marry nationwide, a triumph of love and activism to make a more perfect union,” Freedom to Marry founder Evan Wolfson wrote in a post on X, which included a link to The Freedom to Marry, a 2016 documentary about his organisation’s campaign to legalise same-sex marriage nationwide. “Happy anniversary, and on to the urgent work still before us.” On Bluesky, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represented plaintiff Jim Obergefell in the case, shared a video clip of Obergefell recalling the moment Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered the decision.

“I burst into tears,” Obergefell says, noting, “I could hear people around the courtroom sobbing.” In a post on Instagram marking the occasion, GLAAD stated, “In the 10 years since marriage equality has been legal nationwide, nearly a half million same-sex couples have married, and support for this simple yet profound right has grown year after year.” “Love wins.”

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis commented in a Bluesky thread, “A decade into marriage equality two things remain clear: The Obergefell decision helped protect families & strengthen communities across the country. And a majority of Americans continue to support the freedom to marry, because they understand that love is love, & we all deserve that freedom.” She added, “Just as Obergefell helped Americans understand that love and families should not be up for debate, our identities, our right to feel safe walking down the street, and our ability to access healthcare should not be up for debate either.” The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) encouraged supporters to celebrate by sharing marriage photos with a custom filter.

“Today, we celebrate a decade of marriage equality across the United States — and the power of Obergefell v. Hodges to affirm that love is love,” the Capital Stonewall Democrats posted on X. “Reflecting on this historic moment, we recommit to defending the rights we fought to secure.” Meanwhile, the Congressional Equality Caucus marked Equality Day 2025 by acknowledging LGBTQ+ rights victories in Lawrence v. Texas and United States v. Windsor along with Obergefell. “These victories deserve celebration, but there is still work to be done so that our community’s validity never again relies on a court’s ruling,” the post states.

In a follow-up post, the group expressed that “Even a decade later, we’re still fighting for our community’s full equality under the law—especially for our transgender siblings.” Both national and local Democratic lawmakers shared posts commemorating this civil rights landmark. On X, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) announced that for a decade, Obergefell “has guaranteed same-sex couples the right to marry across the country.” He added, “In the face of unending attacks from MAGA extremists, we must keep working together to protect the fundamental rights of our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors.”

Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) stated that the Obergefell decision “was a hard-won step toward making love visible and valid for everyone,” and it “reminds us how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go. Love wins, but the work continues.” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) wrote on Bluesky, “I’m proud to celebrate this landmark ruling with @equality.house.gov today, and to fight every day for full equality!”

Other Democrats emphasised their efforts to safeguard the right to same-sex marriage. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) noted the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, while Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) shared how he was “glad” to sign legislation earlier this year repealing his state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Earlier this month, the Obama Foundation started Pride Month with a post recalling when, under President Barack Obama, the White House was illuminated in rainbow colors to celebrate the Supreme Court ruling on June 26, 2015. Today, the foundation shared a video with clips of Obama and Obergefell discussing the decision.

“It was a huge moment, and I knew the decision would have an enormous impact on the lives of so many Americans who just wanted their love to be recognized the same as anyone else’s,” the former president says in one clip. As tributes and celebrations continue throughout the day, some took the opportunity to remind people about what is at stake as Republican lawmakers push for the Supreme Court to reconsider Obergefell, sharing a map published by Axios showing the 32 states where constitutional or statutory bans on same-sex marriage would be reinstated if the decision were overturned.