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KANSAN.COM
Last week, Kelly Oubre Jr. became the sixth freshman in KU history to be selected in the NBA draft. He joins two sophomores and nine juniors.
COUPLE FROM PAGE 02
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
Activists stand in the ilius Davis Park in Kansas City, Mo., prior to a rally sponsored by LGBT advocacy group Equality Kansas on Friday. The rally was organized in celebration of the United States Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage nationwide in Obergefell v. Hodges.
of Johnson County ordered marriage licenses be given to same-sex couples. They had already applied for their marriage license in Hawaii.
"We got our marriage application and about 30 minutes after we picked it up, they came back and said 'No, it's not actually legal.'" Caitlin said. "We had family members asking if they would get arrested coming to our wedding, and it's like, 'No, just because it's not legal doesn't mean it's illegal."
Instead of dealing with hyphenations or figuring out which last name to use, Caitlin and Keirsten decided to combine their last names. Caitlin's last name was previously Wisler and Keirsten's was previously Jones. From that they came up with Jonesler.
"It started out as a joke, and I really loved it, so it just stuck," Caitlin said. "I've heard of a few couples that have done it. It was harder for her because she just added a couple of letters to her last name, but it worked out."
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage 5-4 on Friday, June 26. The case originally came to the Supreme Court after numerous states overturned bans on gay marriage. Fourteen couples and two widowers brought the case. Lead plaintiff Jim Obergefell lost his husband John Arthur to Lou Gehrig's disease nearly two years ago. He fought to be recognized as Arthur's spouse on the death certificate.
When the Supreme Court decision was released, crowds of people flocked to the Planting Peace Equality House in Topeka. Director of Operations at Planting Peace David Hammet said people were hugging and crying together, many in disbelief.
“五 years ago they would tell you 'Maybe in my lifetime we'll have marriage equality.' Now it's recognized as part of the constitution; it's an undeniable right," he said. "It's
incredible; it's amazing and exciting. It means something unique to everyone."
Hammet said this is a victory, but there's still a long way to go towards ending homophobia. He compared it to the civil rights movement of the '60s.
"A lot of people threw their hands up, and said 'We dealt with racism, it's over,' but we know all too well that we have not broken down racism," Hammet said. "This is a great moment, but there's so much more to come. Anytime we move forward, people resist it."
Gov. Sam Brownback issued a statement after the Supreme Court ruling.
"Activist courts should not overrule the people of this state, who have clearly supported the Kansas Constitution's definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman," Brownback said in the statement. "We will review the ruling carefully to understand its effects on the people of Kansas."
Richard Levy, J.B. Smith distinguished professor of constitutional law at the University, said although some elected officials may not be pleased with the high court's decision, the Supreme Court's ruling must be followed.
"The United States Constitution is the highest and most fundamental law in the country and it supersedes anything in Kansas law, so the ruling is binding on the state of Kansas," Levy said. "The state must grant marriage licenses and recognize marriage licenses granted by other states."
Hammet said it's unfortunate when elected leaders live and think in the past. In 2005, Kansas passed an amendment clarifying that in the state marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman.
"We know the majority of people in every state are for marriage equality," Hammet said. "It's unfortunate we have elected leaders living in the
"I am a little nervous about fanatic people out there," she said. "I heard an interview on NPR, and this guy is saying his soul is devastated, and it's like, 'My life has nothing to do with you and your devastated soul.'"
past, living in a hateful bigoted past." According to a Gallup poll, 60 percent of Americans believe same-sex marriages should be recognized as valid. While that is up 23 percent from 2005, Caitlin said the disdain for same-sex marriage is still ever present in society.
Levy said he's noticed a dramatic change in public opinion of same-sex marriage, and the court's decision reflects the public's opinion.
"Courts move slowly, and given the prevailing attitudes about homosexuality, courts were partial about
culture," Levy said. "In my lifetime, there's been a dramatic change in cultural attitudes."
Hammet said he thinks there will be an uptick in violence against LGBT individuals by people angered at the ruling. He also worries about individuals being fired from their jobs or being denied housing. In some states, including Kansas, it is legal to fire state employees for their sexual orientation. In February, Brownback repealed protections for LGBT state workers.
Caitlin said the possibility of someone reacting to the ruling violently has crossed her mind. She and Keirsten talked about attending a celebratory rally the Friday night but decided against it.
"It crossed my mind that this is a
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gathering of a lot of homosexuals, and there could be that person that gets after them," she said. "I have a fear still sometimes when my wife and I are walking around. For example we just went to Tennessee, and we had to ask each other 'How things are here,' and 'Can we get away with holding hands?'"
While the public eagerly awaited a vote, Caitlin said she's glad the court took time before voting because it would have been much worse if it had voted to uphold bans on same-sex marriage.
"I was hopeful, but I was scared of it. Everyone just wanted them to go ahead and vote, but we gained more by their waiting," she said. "It's really exciting and amazing."