Conservative Group Pushing to End Same-Sex Marriage—What We Know

MassResistance, a self-described "pro-family activist organization," has backed resolutions in multiple states aimed at challenging the legality of same-sex marriage in an effort to overturn a nearly decade-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

The group has been denounced by LGBTQ organizations, including GLAAD, which labels it an "anti-LGBTQ hate group."

Newsweek filled out a contact request form on MassResistance's website and reached out to GLAAD for comment via email on Thursday.

Why It Matters

June marks the 10th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges, which ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry and that states cannot prohibit them.

Conservative lawmakers in five states have introduced various measures encouraging the Supreme Court to strike down Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 decision that established the nationwide right to same-sex marriage. Conservative Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have previously signaled in a court dissent that the case should be reconsidered.

A majority of Americans support same-sex marriage, though a 2024 Gallup poll found Republicans are less likely to back it than Democrats.

What To Know

MassResistance, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, was founded in 1995 as the Parents' Rights Coalition. Over the past 30 years, the group has operated under different names, including Article 8 Alliance, before adopting the name MassResistance in 2006 as a stance against what it calls "tyrannical government."

The group is directed by conservative activist Brian Camenker. He earned a bachelor of science in economics at the University of the South, Sewanee, in 1975, per his LinkedIn account. He also leads the Parents Education Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

For years, Camenker has been involved in various advocacy efforts, including against sex education programs in high school and abortion rights. He campaigned against Republican Mitt Romney during his run for Massachusetts governor, arguing that Romney was too supportive of gay and abortion rights.

According to Parents Education Foundation 2022 Form 990 filing, it has three voting members on its governing body and reported $211,123 in contributions and grants, according to documents reviewed by Newsweek.

MassResistance collaborates with activists and lawmakers across the U.S. to advocate for anti-LGBTQ policies. Its official X, formerly Twitter, account biography describes the group as "the organization on the front lines against the attacks on traditional family, religion, and society."

Last year, the group played a significant role in the Downey, California, City Council's decision to stop flying Pride flags on city property, and more recently has been backing state resolutions, including in Idaho and Montana, calling for the Supreme Court to overrule Obergefell.

The group frequently refers to same-sex marriage as "gay marriage," placing the term in quotes throughout its website—a tactic it also uses when referring to an LGBTQ individual as "gay." The website also promotes various legal action groups, offers "pro-family information," and lists recommended reading. The group is also very vocal on its opposition to abortion.

The organization has been classified as a "longtime anti-LGBTQ hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

Since the Supreme Court's 5-4 Obergefell ruling, the court has shifted to a more conservative majority after President Donald Trump appointed three justices during his first term. The court has also overturned previous decisions, doing so most notably in 2022 with abortion rights established in the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973.

However, same-sex marriage rights were bolstered in late 2022 when Congress passed, and President Joe Biden signed into law, the Respect for Marriage Act. The law "requires that interracial and same-sex marriage must be recognized as legal in every state in the nation," the president said. Notably, 12 Republican senators, and 39 GOP House members voted in favor of the legislation.

A 2024 Gallup poll found that 69 percent of Americans support legal same-sex marriage, with more support among Democrats than Republicans. It found that 83 percent of Democrats support same-sex marriage, 74 percent of independents, and 46 percent of Republicans.

What People Are Saying

Pete Buttigieg, former Transportation Secretary, said during an appearance on CBS's The Late Show on Tuesday night that he has some fear that Supreme Court would overturn Obergefell, adding that the court does not "seem terribly concerned about allowing precedents to stand, even recent precedents, so... how can we not be worried about that?"

State Representative Josh Schriver, a Michigan Republican, said about Obergefell decision in a news conference in February: "[The decision] defaced the definition of marriage, undermined our God-given rights, increased persecution of Christians and confused the American family structure."

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said in a video posted on X on Tuesday: "In Michigan, everyone has the freedom to marry who they love. It's not only the law of the land, it's a nonnegotiable.

"Right now, however, some extreme members of the Michigan Legislature are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn marriage equality. Here's my response to that: 'Hell no.'

"We've fought a long, hard fight to win marriage equality and we will always protect our family, our friends and neighbors from hateful attacks."

Idaho Representative Heather Scott, a Republican, said at a January hearing, per The Idaho Stateman: "The purpose of this resolution is just to affirm our state authority to regulate marriage."

Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, a Democrat, previously told Newsweek: "The Supreme Court wisely recognized in the Obergefell decision that our Constitution guarantees the freedom to marry the person you love, and that fundamental right should not be subject to the anti-LGBTQ biases of a state legislature. The partner you choose is not the government's choice nor should it be. GOP politicians must get out of the business of persecuting their own citizens."

Mat Staver, chairman of the conservative Christian ministry Liberty Counsel, said in a video last week: "There is no so-called constitutional right in the Constitution to same-sex marriage, that's ridiculous." He said that, "it's not an if, it's just a matter of when" Obergefell will be overruled.

What Happens Next?

Several bills introduced in Montana, Idaho, Michigan and North Dakota remain under consideration, but won't have the legal power to overturn Obergefell if passed.

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, told Newsweek: "Lawmakers who are introducing anti-LGBTQ proposals, resolutions, or rhetoric of any kind that undermine same-sex couples' ability to care for our families are dramatically out of step with what their constituents believe and want for themselves and their neighbors."

She continued, "At a time when American families are concerned with making ends meet and putting food on the table, lawmakers should focus their time, and our taxpayer dollars, on something that actually benefits society."

Updated 3/6/25, 3:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comments from Ellis.