Hillary Clinton: "They will do to gay marriage what they did to abortion."

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued a stark warning that the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) may soon overturn the landmark ruling that legalised same-sex marriage nationwide, echoing its controversial reversal of abortion rights in 2022.

In a recent interview with Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov, Clinton expressed deep concern over the future of marriage equality in America. “It took 50 years to overturn Roe v. Wade,” she said. “My prediction is they will do to gay marriage what they did to abortion. They will send it back to the states”.

Her comments come as SCOTUS considers whether to hear an appeal from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples following the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision. Davis is challenging a jury verdict that awarded damages to a couple she denied, and her case could potentially reopen the debate on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage.

Anybody in a committed relationship out there in the LGBTQ community, you ought to consider getting married.

Clinton urged LGBTQ+ couples to consider marrying now, warning that while existing marriages may remain intact, the national right to marry could be dismantled. “Anybody in a committed relationship out there in the LGBTQ community, you ought to consider getting married,” she said. “I don’t think they’ll undo existing marriages, but I fear they will undo the national right”.

Although the Supreme Court has not formally agreed to revisit Obergefell, several conservative states have introduced resolutions urging it to do so. These resolutions are non-binding, but they reflect growing momentum among Republican lawmakers to challenge federal protections for same-sex unions.

If Obergefell were overturned, the legal status of same-sex marriage would revert to individual states. While the Respect for Marriage Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022, ensures that states must recognise same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, it does not require them to allow such marriages within their own borders.

Clinton’s warning underscores a broader concern about the conservative majority on the court, particularly Justice Clarence Thomas, who previously suggested revisiting rulings on contraception, sodomy laws, and marriage equality in his concurring opinion on the Roe v. Wade reversal.

The potential rollback of marriage equality has sparked alarm across the LGBTQ+ community, with advocates urging vigilance and legal preparedness. As Clinton noted, “There are going to be real world consequences.”