A coalition of advocacy groups announced a nationwide effort on January 28 to press the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage, marking the latest challenge to Obergefell v. Hodges.
The initiative, called the “Greater Than” campaign and led by the nonprofit Them Before Us, argues in recent press material that Obergefell harmed children by redefining marriage and family law in ways that prioritize adult desires over children’s needs.
The campaign seeks cultural and legal changes aimed at restoring marriage laws centered on biological mothers and fathers.
“Ten years of Obergefell have shown us, loud and clear, that children deserve better and that they are Greater Than adult desires – and it’s time we make a change,” said Katy Faust, founder and president of Them Before Us, in the group’s press release.
The campaign brings together religious leaders, authors, nonprofit organizations, and media figures, including Focus on the Family, the American Family Association, and several faith-based advocacy groups.
Supporters contend that the Supreme Court’s ruling made mothers and fathers “optional” in law and contributed to what they describe as harmful developments in family policy.
“For too long, the desires of adults have driven the policy discussion surrounding the homosexual and transgender agenda,” said Walker Wildmon, vice president of the American Family Association, in the same release.
The push follows a recent legal challenge that sought to use an individual damages case to reopen Obergefell.
Former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis asked the Supreme Court in 2025 to overturn the ruling while appealing a jury verdict holding her personally liable for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the decision. Lower courts rejected her argument that the First Amendment shielded her from liability for actions taken in her official capacity.
A federal appeals court ruled that Davis acted as a government official exercising state authority, concluding that “the First Amendment does not protect officials engaged in state action,” according to court filings. The Court also found that Davis imposed her religious beliefs on the entire clerk’s office rather than seeking a limited accommodation.
Lawyers for David Ermold, one of the men who sued Davis, argued to the Supreme Court in filings, “Overruling Obergefell would also affect institutions—including businesses, universities, and the military—that rely on the ability of same-sex couples to marry in the States where they operate, in order to recruit and retain talent. More broadly… [ the Respect for Marriage Act (2022)] does not provide the kind of durable protection afforded by a constitutional right. Those concerns further support the conclusion that this Court should not revisit Obergefell.”
The Supreme Court declined to intervene, leaving the lower court ruling intact, according to prior reporting from The Dallas Express.
Federal law has changed radically in recent years. Whereas the Defense of Marriage Act (1996) once prohibited federal recognition of same sex marital unions, the Respect for Marriage Act (2022) requires states to recognize same-sex marriages lawfully performed elsewhere.
Supporters of the Greater Than campaign say they are pursuing a broader, long-term strategy to reshape public opinion and encourage state-level action that could eventually return the issue to the Supreme Court in a different context.
“Real progress means putting children’s needs ahead of adult desires,” said Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family.
Whether the Court will ultimately revisit Obergefell remains uncertain.
