The plaintiff in last summer’s historic Supreme Court case legalizing gay marriage nationwide is backing Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Jim Obergefell announced his support for the Democratic presidential front-runner on Monday.
{mosads}“We have fought not only to change laws, but to change hearts, and now we need a president who will help us fight to eliminate the injustices that occur regularly in our community,” he said in a statement, according to The Guardian.
“The best person to do that is Hillary Clinton,” Obergefell continued. “I refuse to let Republicans undo the progress that we’ve made, and that is why we need Hillary Clinton in the White House because she will be by our side as we break down barriers and finally reach full equality.”
Clinton then argued Monday that she plans to defend same-sex marriages should she win the Oval Office next year. She also promised that she would expand protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans as well.
“There are still too many places where LGBT Americans are targeted for harassment and violence, and there are too many young people who are uncertain and scared of what their future might hold,” Clinton said in the same statement.
“Right now in America, you can get married on Saturday and be fired from your job on Monday just because of who you love,” she said.
“I see the injustices that are happening in our country, and that is why I’m committed to working with Jim and others to end discrimination against the LGBT community once and for all,” the former secretary of State added.
The Supreme Court issued a landmark 5-4 decision last June legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
Obergefell v. Hodges requires that every state recognize the practice nationwide under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protections Clause.
Clinton currently leads the race for next year’s Democratic presidential nomination by a wide margin, boasting a 21-point lead nationally over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of samplings.