LGBTQ+ community concerned Supreme Court could revisit same-sex marriage

SALT LAKE CITY — An opinion filed by Justice Clarence Thomas has some people concerned over whether the Supreme Court could reconsider other past rulings, including same-sex marriage and contraception.

KSL’s Mike Anderson has a look at how this is impacting people in the LGBTQ+ community.

“Feeling like our marriage directly is being invited for attack, it feels awful,” Chris Wharton said.

Chris Wharton and Chris Jensen have been married for six years. And now with the suggestion that a reversal on Roe v. Wade could be just the beginning, it’s a reminder Friday to not take those everyday rights for granted.

“It’s really hurtful that this is happening in 2022, right?” Chris Jensen said.

“This is why we should not only focus on courts and things that are coming up with courts, but also, we have to be adamant on voting and getting the vote out, and making sure that we could fight and protect ourselves,” Jensen said.

And as Sen. Derek Kitchen points out, Utah already has a trigger-law in place in case the court ever rules differently about same-sex marriage.

“Same-sex marriage, right to privacy, even contraception are under attack, and that’s really troubling since the first time in American history that the Supreme Court has taken away a right from us,” Kitchen said.

All of this comes as Jensen and Wharton are looking to expand their family and adopt, at the same time wondering if protections for all of that could someday change.

“I think most Utahns feel that families are forever,” Wharton said. “I don’t know how many walls I saw that on growing up in Utah, and it just feels like that doesn’t apply to us.”

Jensen, Wharton and Kitchen all add that despite all this concern for the future, they say it’s most important to them right now for people to stand up for women in response to Friday’s ruling.