Friend, I’m Jim Obergefell – a proud Ohioan, gay man, and civil rights activist. If my name sounds familiar, it’s probably because of the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court case.

I still remember that humid day on June 26, 2015, when the Court came to order and Justice Kennedy started reading the decision. When I realized we’d won and that marriage was now legal for LGBTQ+ couples across the country, I burst into tears, as did many others in the room.

For the first time in my life as an out gay man, I felt like an equal American.

It was such a hopeful moment for our country – and I’m still hopeful because I know there are leaders like my friend Sen. Sherrod Brown who are fighting for our rights and pushing for progress. 

But I’m also worried. Thanks to Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, we now have a conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court – one that, if given the chance again, would very likely not rule in our favor on marriage equality. They’ve already overturned Roe v. Wade and ruled that businesses can discriminate against same-sex couples. I’m fearful of what they’ll do next.

Our best hope is to elect leaders who will fight for our rights at every level of government, and Ohioans have no greater champion than Sherrod Brown. He’s spent his whole life fighting for equality, and I’m proud to call him my senator. 

That’s why I’m personally asking you to join me in supporting his reelection campaign by chipping in $5 or $25 today.

Sherrod is facing his toughest reelection yet, and his opponent, Bernie Moreno, is straight out of the MAGA playbook, meaning he’d vote to roll back all our progress. 

But polls show this race is neck and neck, and with experts saying it could decide the fate of the Senate, Republicans are going all in to defeat Sherrod. Protecting Ohio’s seat and our Democratic Senate majority must be a top priority for anyone who truly cares about equality in America.

That’s why I’m writing to ask: Please, will you chip in $5 or more to help Sherrod win in Ohio and defend our Democratic Senate majority? He needs to raise $75,000 a day to pull ahead, and he can’t do that without you.

When any one American’s rights are threatened, our whole democracy suffers. 

Thank you for taking a stand,

Jim Obergefell