Hot Flashes & Cool Topics Podcast

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Happy Pride Month! Today, on the anniversary of the legalization of gay marriage nationwide, we celebrate the LGBTQ community by speaking with one of the couples who stood at the Supreme Court and fought for marriage equality. Tammy Boyd and Kim Franklin fell in love in Kentucky, a state that, at the time, only saw legal marriage as being between men and women. Refusing to let homophobia stop their love story, they fought through adversity and made their way to the Supreme Court. It was there that they stood before the judges, pled their case, and thankfully, the judges ruled in their favor. On this week’s episode, we talk to Tammy and Kim about their love story, the journey to the Supreme Court, and how it feels to have played such a crucial part in LBGTQ history.  

Tammy Boyd & Kim Franklin

Tammy Boyd and Kim Franklin’s love story is one that quite literally made history. Both women grew up in Kentucky, and the second they met, there were sparks. Despite trying to keep their feelings hidden, eventually, they admitted how they felt about one another and fell in love. The two got married in Connecticut, and were frustrated that their home state, Kentucky, refused to recognize a legal union between two people of the same gender. Tammy and Kim stood before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6^th Circuit to fight for their marriage. Unfortunately, the court ruled against them. Refusing to give up, they went to the Supreme Court to continue fighting for the right to same-sex marriage in all states. On June 26^th, 2015, the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in the U.S. Tammy and Kim’s love for one another and their advocacy for equality played a crucial role in allowing other LGBTQ love stories to be heard and recognized by the law. 

Tammy and Kim’s Journey to the Supreme Court

• 1998
  • Kentucky legislatures passed a law stating the legal definition of marriage was solely between a man and a woman
    • This law also prohibited legal recognition of marriage licenses administered to same-sex couples in other states 
• The 80s
  • Tammy and Kim, who were both living in Kentucky, met and ended up falling in love
• July 25, 2010
  • Tammy and Kim traveled to Connecticut to legally be married, since Kentucky refused to allow same-sex marriage
• August 6, 2014
  • Tammy and Kim stood before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6^th Circuit to argue for their right to marriage 
• November 6, 2014
  • The court upheld the ban on same-sex couples in Kentucky
• April 28, 2015
  • Tammy and Kim stood before the Supreme Court and again fought for same-sex marriage
• June 26, 2015
  • The U.S. Supreme court ruled in favor of gay marriage, legalizing it in all 50 states

Obergefell V.S. Hodges

• Obergefell V.S. Hodges is the case brought to the Supreme Court to fight for the legalization of gay marriage in all 50 states
• April 28, 2015
  • Groups of same-sex couples from Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Michigan challenged their respective states’ bans on recognizing gay marriage as legal 
• The Fourteenth Amendment
  • The 14^th Amendment protects the rights to privileges and immunity of citizenship, due process, and equal protection
• The plaintiffs within each case argued that by banning gay marriage, each state was violating the Equal Protection Clause and Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment 
  • A group of plaintiffs also brought claims under the Civil Rights Act
• In a 5-4 verdict, the judges ruled in favor of the plaintiffs
  • The judges ruled to reverse the bans on gay marriage in each state
• On June 26, 2015, gay marriage became officially legal in all 50 states

In this episode, we discuss…..

• [0:01] Introduction
• [0:25] Guest Introduction
• [1:33] Background on Gay Marriage Legalization in Kentucky
• [4:52] Start of Interview
• [6:10] How Tammy and Kim Met
• [7:57] Tammy and Kim’s Love Story
• [10:34] Importance of Being Married in Connecticut
• [12:03] Why They Filed a Lawsuit Against Kentucky Marriage Law
• [14:45] Opinions About Their Marriage from Their Hometown
• [17:10] Response from the Community After Filing Their Lawsuit
• [19:51] Feelings About Other States Getting Involved
• [23:02] The Attorneys and the 6^th Circuit
• [25:23] Reaction to 6^th Circuit Upholding the Ban
• [28:11] Relationship with Other LGBTQ Couples at Supreme Court Case
• [30:46] What It Was Like Going to The Supreme Court
• [35:51] Protestors at The Supreme Court
• [36:23] When a Protestor Broke into The Supreme Court
• [38:32] Thoughts During the Judges’ Deliberation
• [41:19] Process of Picking Attorneys
• [45:10] Why They Chose to Go to The Supreme Court
• [47:40] Finding Out the Verdict
• [50:56] Tammy and Kim’s Impact on the LGBTQ Community
• [54:31] Negative Responses After the Verdict
• [55:13] Hopes for the Future of the LGBTQ Community 
• [58:16] Closing Thoughts
• [1:00:26] Outro

Useful Resources:

Tammy and Kim’s Story I http://www.freedomtomarry.org/stories/entry/a-love-story-2-decades-in-the-making

Information on Obergefell v.s. Hodges I https://www.oyez.org/cases/2014/14-556

Additional Information on Obergefell v.s. Hodges I https://www.britannica.com/event/Obergefell-v-Hodges

The Trevor Project (Supporting LBGTQ people) I https://www.thetrevorproject.org/#:~:text=Our%20trained%20counselors%20are%20here,%2D866%2D488%2D7386.&text=TrevorChat%20is%20a%20free%2C%20confidential,live%20help%20to%20LGBTQ%20youth.

LGBTQ National Hotline I 888-843-4564

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