Amend Part V

Amend: The Fight for America Episode

Netflix (2021)

Film Review

This episode at the campaign to have gay marriage recognized under the 14th amendment.

According to filmmakers, the Supreme Court first struck down a gay marriage case in 1975.

After a number of states passed laws recognizing gay marriage, President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage act in 1996. This law defined marriage as marriage between one man and one woman and allowed states to refuse to recognize same sex marriages recognized in other states.

In 2013, after 13 states passed anti-gay marriage laws and referendums, the SCOTUS struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. However there was still no federal law requiring anti-gay marriage states to recognize gay marriages performed in other states.

This changed with the Obergefell vs Hodges decision in 2015. In this decision, the SCOTUS ruled the 14th amendment requires all states to recognize gay marriage.

This episode tells the story of the gay man who brought this case and his reasons for doing so.