Case Study

The Campaign for Marriage Equality

SKDK is proud to have worked on the three recent Supreme Court cases that legalized marriage equality throughout the United States: Obergefell v. Hodges, United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry.


Obergefell v. Hodges and “The People’s Brief”

On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Obergefell v. Hodges, bringing full marriage equality to all 50 states once and for all. SKDK was proud to work with Jim Obergefell and the nation’s top LGBT-rights groups to develop a unified strategy and message. In advance of oral arguments in the case, SKDK worked with the Human Rights Campaign on an unprecedented effort to lift up the voice of every American who supports marriage equality via an unprecedented “People’s Brief.”

 

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As part of the effort, SKDK worked with HRC on a “People’s Brief” that – for the first time in history – gave every American the ability to read and sign an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. In a matter of weeks, more than 207,500 Americans – including dozens of celebrities and leading figures – signed The People’s Brief urging the Supreme Court to ensure that every person can marry the person they love.

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In this video, attorney Robbie Kaplan and civil rights pioneer Edie Windsor discuss The People’s Brief. The brief was signed by Americans from all 50 states, and is the largest amicus brief to ever be submitted to the court.

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Robbie Kaplan and Edie Windsor Discuss The People’s Brief


Respect for Marriage: United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry

In 2013, against the backdrop of two historic Supreme Court cases challenging DOMA and California’s Prop 8 and several states on the cusp of approving state marriage equality legislation, the nation’s largest LGBT advocacy organizations formed the Respect for Marriage Coalition to coordinate their efforts. The Coalition — led by the Human Rights Campaign, Freedom to Marry, ACLU, GLAD and AFER – hired SKDK to plan and manage a national coordinated communications campaign.

SKDK worked with the Coalition to develop a unified strategy and message, and launched a national advertising campaign including TV, print and online ads. During the course of the coalition’s effort, national support for marriage equality grew at an unprecedented pace.

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SKDK generated several TV ads for the Respect for Marriage campaign. This ad, “Journey,” features a series of Americans explaining why they had come to support marriage equality.

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2013 Respect for Marriage TV Ad "Journey"

SKDK has also been proud to support Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and GLAD Civil Rights Project Director Mary Bonauto, who argued for marriage equality before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Results

  • The Long Road to Making Marriage Equality a Reality

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  • LA Times

    Same-sex marriage ruling creates new constitutional liberty

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  • Study Finds Supportive Tilt to Gay Marriage Coverage

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  • Brief Supporting Same-Sex Marriage Gets More Republican Support

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  • Political debate on same-sex marriage is arguably over

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  • For same-sex military couples, a battle on the home front

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  • For One Military Family, DOMA Decision Will Hit Close To Home

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  • Supreme Court Hears Same-Sex Marriage Arguments

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  • LA Times

    The constitutional argument for same-sex marriage

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  • There's No Real Case Against Gay Marriage

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