Ten years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in a landmark decision.
In honor of the anniversary, the Obama Center is unveiling select artifacts that will be on display at the Obama Presidential Center.
They're being donated by Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges, which, on June 26, 2015, decided that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples.
Plaintiff Jim Obergefell speaks to members of the media after the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling legalizing same-sex marriage June 26, 2015 outside the Supreme Court in Washington, DC. The bow tie Obergefell is wearing in the photo will be on display at the Obama Presidential Center next year. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
"Among those are our ceremonial marriage certificate, our wedding rings and the bow tie I was wearing in Supreme Court on June 26, 2015," Obergefell said in an interview with the Obama Foundation.
He said the items celebrate his marriage to his husband John Arthur, who died of ALS in 2013.
"I can't think of a better place for these items to be on display because hope and change are what they represent," Obergefell said. "That marriage license, it represents our hopes and dreams of almost 21 years to be able to say 'I do' and have it mean something."
Jim Obergefell and his late husband John Arthur's official marriage certificate. It is one of select artifacts Obergefell is donating to the Obama Foundation to be on display at the Obama Presidential Center next year.The Obama Foundation
His hope, he said, is that the artifacts will preserve a historic piece of American history and inspire visitors to bring change home to their own communities.
"The hope that it gives to young people that they can marry the person they love," he said.
The artifacts will be on display at the Obama Presidential Center when it is set to open in the Spring of 2026.
