October 29, 2025
Even in Oregon, the Fight for Marriage Equality Might Not Be Over
By Nic Wong
After the state’s ban on gay marriage was lifted in 2014, advocates took a breath. But more than a decade later, with Obergefell now at risk, there’s still more work to be done.
In 2014, one year before Obergefell v. Hodges, a US district court decision in Geiger v. Kitzhaber finally lifted the ban on gay marriage in Oregon. Advocates had been gathering signatures for a statewide ballot measure, but dropped the campaign as county officials began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. “We are confident that the freedom to marry is secure in Oregon and that we do not need to move forward with the ballot measure,” said Oregon United for Marriage after the ruling. “It is time to celebrate this victory.”
The advocates who had worked tirelessly on the issue took a breath. Marriage equality was finally protected across Oregon—or so they thought.
More than a decade later, in light of a federal frenzy of budget cuts and worrying Supreme Court rulings, advocates fear what might come next, including the prospect that Obergefell could soon be overturned. Although the Geiger decision allowed gay marriage in the state, the Oregon constitution still maintains that “only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or legally recognized as a marriage” in Article 15 Section 5A.
