Obergefell sued Ohio, which banned gay marriage, after the state refused to acknowledge his marriage to Arthur on Arthur's death certificate.
Obergefell also has run into problems with survivor benefits and he worries about being excluded, after his own death, from a family cemetery plot that Arthur's grandparents set aside for married spouses and direct descendants.None of it was a fight Obergefell and Arthur were looking for.
Surrounded by a sea of supporters on the sidewalk outside the white marble facade of the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, James Obergefell remembered a man who was not able to share his moment of triumph.
'I know in my heart John is here with me today,''No one could ever accuse us of being activists,' . 'We just lived our lives. We were just John and Jim.' Obergefell told hundreds of gay rights supporters after the high court declared same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.
After the ruling, Obergefell received a congratulatory call from President
.