SHOTGUN WEDDING

Gay Couples Rush to Marry Ahead of Trump’s Second Term

Fears are high following President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of anti-trans policy plans.

Gay couples are rushing to tie the knot and start fertility treatments before Donald Trump’s inauguration, NBC News reported. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the United States since 2015 after the landmark Supreme Court ruling, Obergefell v. Hodges decided that state bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional. Despite the high court’s ruling, some gay Americans fear that the Supreme Court may overturn Obergefell, much like it did Roe v. Wade in 2022. Mary Bonauto, who argued on behalf of same-sex couples in Obergefell, reportedly dismissed the likelihood of an overturned ruling. “I understand that there are things about these times that introduce a lot of uncertainty in people’s lives. I understand that,” she told NBC News. “But right now, and certainly for the foreseeable future, marriage equality is not one of the things that would change.” Still, in 2020, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito signaled that they would be open to reversing Obergefell. It’s unclear, however, if the Trump administration intends to attempt a roll back of protections for same-sex couples. However, the president-elect has vowed to reinstate a ban on transgender Americans enlisting in the military and abolish gender-affirming care for transgender minors.