The Jim Obergefell Story

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BROWN. Madam President, Senator Sessions wants to speak in a moment, and I will be brief.

I would like to thank Senator Booker for his always stirring words and for his sense of justice and fair play and leadership in so many ways.

I met Jim about 1 year ago and had a brief meeting, not too long after the court decision by Judge Black in the Cincinnati Southern District Court in Ohio. I just spent a half an hour with him in my office. He never wanted and never expected to be famous. He never expected to come to Washington to meet with Senators. He never expected to travel the country giving speeches. He was once a high school teacher. He joked that more people have been with him as he traveled across the country, joked that when he spoke to crowds of hundreds or even 1,000 about his experience with his beloved John and what has happened, he wished that his students had listened to him so closely. You could hear a pin drop when he spoke to hundreds, which is not always the case when speaking as a high school teacher. But he wanted to live his life in a normal way as most Americans do. He never expected to have his story or his marriage litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court.

But that is really the mark of character, that Jim has taken his grief and his pain and hoped to change the world, and that is what he is doing. His marriage is still not equal in my State of Ohio. I am embarrassed by that. I was, frankly, embarrassed when Ohio, 10 years ago, passed a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage. I thought it was a terrible public policy mistake. I think it left too many people behind and too many people heartbroken.

Jim and his late husband John Arthur's story is one of love and sacrifice. It could happen to anyone. It could happen to any of us. Frankly, it happens to too many families. So as Senator Booker pointed out, they flew to Maryland where John's aunt, Paulette Roberts, officiated their marriage on the tarmac in a medical plane.

Paulette remarked, ``If marriage vows mean anything, then those two were more married than anyone I have ever known.'' That speaks to their commitment, it speaks to their love, to the seriousness with which they took their wedding vows, and the seriousness of the relationship for 20 years prior to that.

Just 3 months and 11 days later John passed away. Jim has been fighting for his marriage ever since. The question is, why should he have to do that? No one ever voted to allow my wife Connie and me toMr. BROWN. Madam President, Senator Sessions wants to speak in a moment, and I will be brief.

   I would like to thank Senator Booker for his always stirring words and for his sense of justice and fair play and leadership in so many ways.

   I met Jim about 1 year ago and had a brief meeting, not too long after the court decision by Judge Black in the Cincinnati Southern District Court in Ohio. I just spent a half an hour with him in my office. He never wanted and never expected to be famous. He never expected to come to Washington to meet with Senators. He never expected to travel the country giving speeches. He was once a high school teacher. He joked that more people have been with him as he traveled across the country, joked that when he spoke to crowds of hundreds or even 1,000 about his experience with his beloved John and what has happened, he wished that his students had listened to him so closely. You could hear a pin drop when he spoke to hundreds, which is not always the case when speaking as a high school teacher. But he wanted to live his life in a normal way as most Americans do. He never expected to have his story or his marriage litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court.

   But that is really the mark of character, that Jim has taken his grief and his pain and hoped to change the world, and that is what he is doing. His marriage is still not equal in my State of Ohio. I am embarrassed by that. I was, frankly, embarrassed when Ohio, 10 years ago, passed a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage. I thought it was a terrible public policy mistake. I think it left too many people behind and too many people heartbroken.

   Jim and his late husband John Arthur's story is one of love and sacrifice. It could happen to anyone. It could happen to any of us. Frankly, it happens to too many families. So as Senator Booker pointed out, they flew to Maryland where John's aunt, Paulette Roberts, officiated their marriage on the tarmac in a medical plane.

   Paulette remarked, ``If marriage vows mean anything, then those two were more married than anyone I have ever known.'' That speaks to their commitment, it speaks to their love, to the seriousness with which they took their wedding vows, and the seriousness of the relationship for 20 years prior to that.

   Just 3 months and 11 days later John passed away. Jim has been fighting for his marriage ever since. The question is, why should he have to do that? No one ever voted to allow my wife Connie and me to stand before our families and acknowledge our love and commitment. When we were married, we were benefitting from a right not--get this--a right not extended to the minister who officiated our wedding.

   The woman who officiated our wedding, Kate Huey, had had a marriage--she had had a commitment ceremony 18 years earlier. It was not until late last year that she traveled to New York with the woman she loved and was officially married, legally married in New York. You still cannot do that in Ohio. It is outrageous that she cannot do that in Ohio. I am hopeful after Jim's case is argued a couple of weeks from now and the Court hands down that decision, it will stop that bigotry and inequality that has hidden under the banner of tradition for far too long.

   Keep in mind--and Senator Booker, I thought, laid out a lot of this history very well--Ohio once passed laws to keep Black people and White people from marrying. Ohioans came together, as we always do, we rallied, we repealed that unjust and hateful antimiscegenation law. We have a long history of fighting for justice and equality. We will not rest until we achieve that justiceMr. BROWN. Madam President, Senator Sessions wants to speak in a moment, and I will be brief.

   I would like to thank Senator Booker for his always stirring words and for his sense of justice and fair play and leadership in so many ways.

   I met Jim about 1 year ago and had a brief meeting, not too long after the court decision by Judge Black in the Cincinnati Southern District Court in Ohio. I just spent a half an hour with him in my office. He never wanted and never expected to be famous. He never expected to come to Washington to meet with Senators. He never expected to travel the country giving speeches. He was once a high school teacher. He joked that more people have been with him as he traveled across the country, joked that when he spoke to crowds of hundreds or even 1,000 about his experience with his beloved John and what has happened, he wished that his students had listened to him so closely. You could hear a pin drop when he spoke to hundreds, which is not always the case when speaking as a high school teacher. But he wanted to live his life in a normal way as most Americans do. He never expected to have his story or his marriage litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court.

   But that is really the mark of character, that Jim has taken his grief and his pain and hoped to change the world, and that is what he is doing. His marriage is still not equal in my State of Ohio. I am embarrassed by that. I was, frankly, embarrassed when Ohio, 10 years ago, passed a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage. I thought it was a terrible public policy mistake. I think it left too many people behind and too many people heartbroken.

   Jim and his late husband John Arthur's story is one of love and sacrifice. It could happen to anyone. It could happen to any of us. Frankly, it happens to too many families. So as Senator Booker pointed out, they flew to Maryland where John's aunt, Paulette Roberts, officiated their marriage on the tarmac in a medical plane.

   Paulette remarked, ``If marriage vows mean anything, then those two were more married than anyone I have ever known.'' That speaks to their commitment, it speaks to their love, to the seriousness with which they took their wedding vows, and the seriousness of the relationship for 20 years prior to that.

   Just 3 months and 11 days later John passed away. Jim has been fighting for his marriage ever since. The question is, why should he have to do that? No one ever voted to allow my wife Connie and me to stand before our families and acknowledge our love and commitment. When we were married, we were benefitting from a right not--get this--a right not extended to the minister who officiated our wedding.

   The woman who officiated our wedding, Kate Huey, had had a marriage--she had had a commitment ceremony 18 years earlier. It was not until late last year that she traveled to New York with the woman she loved and was officially married, legally married in New York. You still cannot do that in Ohio. It is outrageous that she cannot do that in Ohio. I am hopeful after Jim's case is argued a couple of weeks from now and the Court hands down that decision, it will stop that bigotry and inequality that has hidden under the banner of tradition for far too long.

   Keep in mind--and Senator Booker, I thought, laid out a lot of this history very well--Ohio once passed laws to keep Black people and White people from marrying. Ohioans came together, as we always do, we rallied, we repealed that unjust and hateful antimiscegenation law. We have a long history of fighting for justice and equality. We will not rest until we achieve that justice for Jim and for John.

   I look at the pages who sit before us who are mostly 16 and 17-years-old. This is something that makes no sense to most of them. When I was talking to Jim earlier in my office, he had made a speech in Athens, OH, to Ohio University students. He told me most of them could not understand why State laws would prohibit somebody from marrying the person whom they love. They could not understand why the State government, the Ohio State government, would spend my tax dollars and Jim's tax dollars, the tax dollars of Hazel's parents--mother of the page from Ohio--the tax dollars of all of us to fight this court battle so that Jim's marriage would be denied.

   If the Supreme Court rules in Jim's favor, and I think it will, Jim's name will go down in the history books, along with Roe, from Roe v. Wade; and Brown, in Brown v. Board of Education. It is not what Jim was after. It would be fitting for a love that spanned decades and was strong enough to carry Jim here to Washington. The moment has come for our Supreme Court to stand on the right side of history and join Americans who support marriage equality.

   As Senator Booker said, 37 States and the District of Columbia now allow marriage equality. I do not like it that we have to rely on the Supreme Court to get my State to change its laws. We have politicians who look backward rather than forward. That is too bad. We have politicians who are willing to deny human beings basic rights, basic civil rights, basic rights of decency and fairness.

   I am hopeful that Jim's courage and Jim's outspokenness and Jim's willingness to join on behalf of John in his fight and make this fight will help change my State and help change our Nation. I know I cannot look to the gallery and thank somebody so I will not look to the gallery, but I will still thank Jim from here.

   I yield the floor. for Jim and for John.

   I look at the pages who sit before us who are mostly 16 and 17-years-old. This is something that makes no sense to most of them. When I was talking to Jim earlier in my office, he had made a speech in Athens, OH, to Ohio University students. He told me most of them could not understand why State laws would prohibit somebody from marrying the person whom they love. They could not understand why the State government, the Ohio State government, would spend my tax dollars and Jim's tax dollars, the tax dollars of Hazel's parents--mother of the page from Ohio--the tax dollars of all of us to fight this court battle so that Jim's marriage would be denied.

   If the Supreme Court rules in Jim's favor, and I think it will, Jim's name will go down in the history books, along with Roe, from Roe v. Wade; and Brown, in Brown v. Board of Education. It is not what Jim was after. It would be fitting for a love that spanned decades and was strong enough to carry Jim here to Washington. The moment has come for our Supreme Court to stand on the right side of history and join Americans who support marriage equality.

   As Senator Booker said, 37 States and the District of Columbia now allow marriage equality. I do not like it that we have to rely on the SMr. BROWN. Madam President, Senator Sessions wants to speak in a moment, and I will be brief.

   I would like to thank Senator Booker for his always stirring words and for his sense of justice and fair play and leadership in so many ways.

   I met Jim about 1 year ago and had a brief meeting, not too long after the court decision by Judge Black in the Cincinnati Southern District Court in Ohio. I just spent a half an hour with him in my office. He never wanted and never expected to be famous. He never expected to come to Washington to meet with Senators. He never expected to travel the country giving speeches. He was once a high school teacher. He joked that more people have been with him as he traveled across the country, joked that when he spoke to crowds of hundreds or even 1,000 about his experience with his beloved John and what has happened, he wished that his students had listened to him so closely. You could hear a pin drop when he spoke to hundreds, which is not always the case when speaking as a high school teacher. But he wanted to live his life in a normal way as most Americans do. He never expected to have his story or his marriage litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court.

   But that is really the mark of character, that Jim has taken his grief and his pain and hoped to change the world, and that is what he is doing. His marriage is still not equal in my State of Ohio. I am embarrassed by that. I was, frankly, embarrassed when Ohio, 10 years ago, passed a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage. I thought it was a terrible public policy mistake. I think it left too many people behind and too many people heartbroken.

   Jim and his late husband John Arthur's story is one of love and sacrifice. It could happen to anyone. It could happen to any of us. Frankly, it happens to too many families. So as Senator Booker pointed out, they flew to Maryland where John's aunt, Paulette Roberts, officiated their marriage on the tarmac in a medical plane.

   Paulette remarked, ``If marriage vows mean anything, then those two were more married than anyone I have ever known.'' That speaks to their commitment, it speaks to their love, to the seriousness with which they took their wedding vows, and the seriousness of the relationship for 20 years prior to that.

   Just 3 months and 11 days later John passed away. Jim has been fighting for his marriage ever since. The question is, why should he have to do that? No one ever voted to allow my wife Connie and me to stand before our families and acknowledge our love and commitment. When we were married, we were benefitting from a right not--get this--a right not extended to the minister who officiated our wedding.

   The woman who officiated our wedding, Kate Huey, had had a marriage--she had had a commitment ceremony 18 years earlier. It was not until late last year that she traveled to New York with the woman she loved and was officially married, legally married in New York. You still cannot do that in Ohio. It is outrageous that she cannot do that in Ohio. I am hopeful after Jim's case is argued a couple of weeks from now and the Court hands down that decision, it will stop that bigotry and inequality that has hidden under the banner of tradition for far too long.

   Keep in mind--and Senator Booker, I thought, laid out a lot of this history very well--Ohio once passed laws to keep Black people and White people from marrying. Ohioans came together, as we always do, we rallied, we repealed that unjust and hateful antimiscegenation law. We have a long history of fighting for justice and equality. We will not rest until we achieve that justice for Jim and for John.

   I look at the pages who sit before us who are mostly 16 and 17-years-old. This is something that makes no sense to most of them. When I was talking to Jim earlier in my office, he had made a speech in Athens, OH, to Ohio University students. He told me most of them could not understand why State laws would prohibit somebody from marrying the person whom they love. They could not understand why the State government, the Ohio State government, would spend my tax dollars and Jim's tax dollars, the tax dollars of Hazel's parents--mother of the page from Ohio--the tax dollars of all of us to fight this court battle so that Jim's marriage would be denied.

   If the Supreme Court rules in Jim's favor, and I think it will, Jim's name will go down in the history books, along with Roe, from Roe v. Wade; and Brown, in Brown v. Board of Education. It is not what Jim was after. It would be fitting for a love that spanned decades and was strong enough to carry Jim here to Washington. The moment has come for our Supreme Court to stand on the right side of history and join Americans who support marriage equality.

   As Senator Booker said, 37 States and the District of Columbia now allow marriage equality. I do not like it that we have to rely on the Supreme Court to get my State to change its laws. We have politicians who look backward rather than forward. That is too bad. We have politicians who are willing to deny human beings basic rights, basic civil rights, basic rights of decency and fairness.

   I am hopeful that Jim's courage and Jim's outspokenness and Jim's willingness to join on behalf of John in his fight and make this fight will help change my State and help change our Nation. I know I cannot look to the gallery and thank somebody so I will not look to the gallery, but I will still thank Jim from here.

   I yield the floor.Mr. BROWN. Madam President, Senator Sessions wants to speak in a moment, and I will be brief.

   I would like to thank Senator Booker for his always stirring words and for his sense of justice and fair play and leadership in so many ways.

   I met Jim about 1 year ago and had a brief meeting, not too long after the court decision by Judge Black in the Cincinnati Southern District Court in Ohio. I just spent a half an hour with him in my office. He never wanted and never expected to be famous. He never expected to come to Washington to meet with Senators. He never expected to travel the country giving speeches. He was once a high school teacher. He joked that more people have been with him as he traveled across the country, joked that when he spoke to crowds of hundreds or even 1,000 about his experience with his beloved John and what has happened, he wished that his students had listened to him so closely. You could hear a pin drop when he spoke to hundreds, which is not always the case when speaking as a high school teacher. But he wanted to live his life in a normal way as most Americans do. He never expected to have his story or his marriage litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court.

   But that is really the mark of character, that Jim has taken his grief and his pain and hoped to change the world, and that is what he is doing. His marriage is still not equal in my State of Ohio. I am embarrassed by that. I was, frankly, embarrassed when Ohio, 10 years ago, passed a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage. I thought it was a terrible public policy mistake. I think it left too many people behind and too many people heartbroken.

   Jim and his late husband John Arthur's story is one of love and sacrifice. It could happen to anyone. It could happen to any of us. Frankly, it happens to too many families. So as Senator Booker pointed out, they flew to Maryland where John's aunt, Paulette Roberts, officiated their marriage on the tarmac in a medical plane.

   Paulette remarked, ``If marriage vows mean anything, then those two were more married than anyone I have ever known.'' That speaks to their commitment, it speaks to their love, to the seriousness with which they took their wedding vows, and the seriousness of the relationship for 20 years prior to that.

   Just 3 months and 11 days later John passed away. Jim has been fighting for his marriage ever since. The question is, why should he have to do that? No one ever voted to allow my wife Connie and me to stand before our families and acknowledge our love and commitment. When we were married, we were benefitting from a right not--get this--a right not extended to the minister who officiated our wedding.

   The woman who officiated our wedding, Kate Huey, had had a marriage--she had had a commitment ceremony 18 years earlier. It was not until late last year that she traveled to New York with the woman she loved and was officially married, legally married in New York. You still cannot do that in Ohio. It is outrageous that she cannot do that in Ohio. I am hopeful after Jim's case is argued a couple of weeks from now and the Court hands down that decision, it will stop that bigotry and inequality that has hidden under the banner of tradition for far too long.

   Keep in mind--and Senator Booker, I thought, laid out a lot of this history very well--Ohio once passed laws to keep Black people and White people from marrying. Ohioans came together, as we always do, we rallied, we repealed that unjust and hateful antimiscegenation law. We have a long history of fighting for justice and equality. We will not rest until we achieve that justice for Jim and for John.

   I look at the pages who sit before us who are mostly 16 and 17-years-old. This is something that makes no sense to most of them. When I was talking to Jim earlier in my office, he had made a speech in Athens, OH, to Ohio University students. He told me most of them could not understand why State laws would prohibit somebody from marrying the person whom they love. They could not understand why the State government, the Ohio State government, would spend my tax dollars and Jim's tax dollars, the tax dollars of Hazel's parents--mother of the page from Ohio--the tax dollars of all of us to fight this court battle so that Jim's marriage would be denied.

   If the Supreme Court rules in Jim's favor, and I think it will, Jim's name will go down in the history books, along with Roe, from Roe v. Wade; and Brown, in Brown v. Board of Education. It is not what Jim was after. It would be fitting for a love that spanned decades and was strong enough to carry Jim here to Washington. The moment has come for our Supreme Court to stand on the right side of history and join Americans who support marriage equality.

   As Senator Booker said, 37 States and the District of Columbia now allow marriage equality. I do not like it that we have to rely on the Supreme Court to get my State to change its laws. We have politicians who look backward rather than forward. That is too bad. We have politicians who are willing to deny human beings basic rights, basic civil rights, basic rights of decency and fairness.

   I am hopeful that Jim's courage and Jim's outspokenness and Jim's willingness to join on behalf of John in his fight and make this fight will help change my State and help change our Nation. I know I cannot look to the gallery and thank somebody so I will not look to the gallery, but I will still thank Jim from here.

   I yield the floor.upreme Court to get my State to change its laws. We have politicians who look backward rather than forward. That is too bad. We have politicians who are willing to deny human beings basic rights, basic civil rights, basic rights of decency and fairness.

   I am hopeful that Jim's courage and Jim's outspokenness and Jim's willingness to join on behalf of John in his fight and make this fight will help change my State and help change our Nation. I know I cannot look to the gallery and thank somebody so I will not look to the gallery, but I will still thank Jim from here.

   I yield the floor. stand before our families and acknowledge our love and commitment. When we were married, we were benefitting from a right not--get this--a right not extended to the minister who officiated our wedding.

The woman who officiated our wedding, Kate Huey, had had a marriage--she had had a commitment ceremony 18 years earlier. It was not until late last year that she traveled to New York with the woman she loved and was officially married, legally married in New York. You still cannot do that in Ohio. It is outrageous that she cannot do that in Ohio. I am hopeful after Jim's case is argued a couple of weeks from now and the Court hands down that decision, it will stop that bigotry and inequality that has hidden under the banner of tradition for far too long.

Keep in mind--and Senator Booker, I thought, laid out a lot of this history very well--Ohio once passed laws to keep Black people and White people from marrying. Ohioans came together, as we always do, we rallied, we repealed that unjust and hateful antimiscegenation law. We have a long history of fighting for justice and equality. We will not rest until we achieve that justice for Jim and for John.

I look at the pages who sit before us who are mostly 16 and 17-years-old. This is something that makes no sense to most of them. When I was talking to Jim earlier in my office, he had made a speech in Athens, OH, to Ohio University students. He told me most of them could not understand why State laws would prohibit somebody from marrying the person whom they love. They could not understand why the State government, the Ohio State government, would spend my tax dollars and Jim's tax dollars, the tax dollars of Hazel's parents--mother of the page from Ohio--the tax dollars of all of us to fight this court battle so that Jim's marriage would be denied.

If the Supreme Court rules in Jim's favor, and I think it will, Jim's name will go down in the history books, along with Roe, from Roe v. Wade; and Brown, in Brown v. Board of Education. It is not what Jim was after. It would be fitting for a love that spanned decades and was strong enough to carry Jim here to Washington. The moment has come for our Supreme Court to stand on the right side of history and join Americans who support marriage equality.

As Senator Booker said, 37 States and the District of Columbia now allow marriage equality. I do not like it that we have to rely on the Supreme Court to get my State to change its laws. We have politicians who look backward rather than forward. That is too bad. We have politicians who are willing to deny human beings basic rights, basic civil rights, basic rights of decency and fairness.

I am hopeful that Jim's courage and Jim's outspokenness and Jim's willingness to join on behalf of John in his fight and make this fight will help change my State and help change our Nation. I know I cannot look to the gallery and thank somebody so I will not look to the gallery, but I will still thank Jim from here.

I yield the floor.

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