U.S. Supreme Court Rules In Favor of Marriage Equality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2015                                                       
CONTACT: Katie Rogers, Public Relations Manager, (206) 328-7705

U.S. Supreme Court Rules In Favor of Marriage Equality

Every State in the Nation to Allow Same-Sex Couples to Marry

Seattle — Today, Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands (PPGNHI) applauds the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. The 5-4 decision written by Chief Justice Kennedy ensures that every American has an equal right to marry.

“I am thrilled that we now live in a country where marriage equality exists nationwide,” said Chris Charbonneau, CEO of PPGNHI. “We have long stood with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in the struggle for full equality — many of whom turn to Planned Parenthood for health care, information and education.”

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling favors more than two dozen plaintiffs from four states and ended a long-lasting debate on the constitutionality of state gay marriage bans. Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho and Washington have recognized same-sex marriage prior to this decision.

In the more than 45 years since the Stonewall riots — where the modern lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) movement was born — we’ve seen extraordinary progress on LGBTQ rights in this country, including the overturning of part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the 2011 repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, followed by this historic U.S. Supreme Court decision.

This progress is rooted in the same principles that underlie reproductive rights: elected officials should not stand in the way of what you do with your body, who you marry or what your family looks like. Rights in this country should not depend on the state you live in.

“We know that reproductive rights are deeply connected to LGBTQ rights and we are proud to be a resource for many in the community,” Charbonneau said. “Today will make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans and their families.”

PPPGNHI and its sister affiliates across the four-state region have been heavily active in the local movements to fight for LGBTQ rights. Planned Parenthood was one of the primary coalition members of the successful 2012 campaign to bring marriage equality to Washington, making it one of the first states in the country to extend marriage to same-sex couples by popular vote. Additionally, Planned Parenthood is a leader in Idaho’s Add the Words coalition, the statewide campaign to add “sexual orientation” and “gender discrimination” as protected groups in the Idaho Human Rights Act. Last summer, Planned Parenthood successfully ran the campaign in Pocatello, ID against an effort to repeal that city’s own non-discrimination ordinance.

For inquiries, please contact Katie Rogers, Public Relations Manager, (206) 328-7705.

### 

Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands is the region's leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate. We believe everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child, and that every child should be wanted and loved. The organization operates 28 health centers in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, and Western Washington and provides medical services and sexuality education for thousands of women, men, and teenagers each year. Planned Parenthood is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and relies heavily on charitable donations to ensure our patients' ability to determine their own destinies and receive the health care they need.