Plaintiff in Supreme Court gay marriage ruling has book deal
Film rights purchased by 20th Century Fox
(New York) The lead plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case that made gay marriage a nationwide right has a book deal. Obergefell's involvement in what became Obergefell v. Hodges originated with his desire to have his name listed as "surviving spouse" of the late John Arthur, whom he had married in Maryland. Same-sex marriage had been illegal in Obergefell's native Ohio.
Jim Obergefell is collaborating with Washington Post journalist Debbie Cenziper on 21 Years to Midnight, William Morrow told The Associated Press. Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, plans a June release to mark the 5-4 ruling's anniversary.
Jim Obergefell was the named plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that legalized same sex marriage nationwide. The decision has been backed by supporters of the courts nationwide. In June, The Supreme Court declared that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the United States.
It was 2004 when Massachusetts became the first state to allow same-sex couples to marry. Eleven years later, the Supreme Court has now ruled that all those gay marriage bans must fall and same-sex couples have the same right to marry under the Constitution as everyone else.
"When John and I made the decision to stand up for our marriage and the commitments we'd made, we did so with no thought about where our fight might take us," Obergefell said in a statement. "This book will tell the story of that unexpected journey from the perspective of our 21-year relationship and the overall marriage equality movement."
Last month, the 20th Century Fox division Fox 2000 Pictures announced it had acquired film rights for 21 Years to Midnight. Both Fox and Morrow are part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
By Hillel Italie, AP National Writer. Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Gayly – August 5, 2015 @ 12:30pm.