TL;DR

• Michigan Sen. Jeremy Moss introduced a resolution to repeal the state’s anti–same-sex-marriage amendment.
• He’s also running for Congress, aiming to become the state’s first out LGBTQ member of Congress.
• Moss warns that if SCOTUS overturns Obergefell, Michigan’s 2004 marriage ban snaps back instantly.
• Public support for marriage equality is strong, including among some Trump voters.
• LGBTQ advocates say this fight is urgent — and queer families’ rights depend on it.

Michigan’s LGBTQ Champion Says Time’s Up on Old Marriage Bans

Michigan State Sen. Jeremy Moss is done waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to roll the dice on queer rights again. And honestly? Same. The Democrat — and Michigan’s first out gay state senator — just dropped a political thunderbolt: a resolution to repeal Michigan’s dusty, discriminatory 2004 same-sex marriage ban and put real marriage equality protections on the 2026 ballot.

Moss says the state can’t sit around hoping the justices stay nice. With conservatives on the bench openly flirting with rolling back Obergefell v. Hodges, the decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, Moss wants Michigan locked down before Washington tries anything cute. “Marriage equality in Michigan only exists because of Obergefell,” Moss told The Advocate. “If a future case overturns it, we go right back to that 2004 language.”

And that language? Nasty. Michigan’s amendment doesn’t just ban same-sex marriage — it even bans civil unions. It’s a time capsule from the Bad Old Days, when queer families were treated like societal glitches.

Running for Congress — and Racing Against the Court

Moss isn’t just pushing a ballot measure; he’s also running for Congress to represent Michigan’s 11th District. If elected, he’d become the first out LGBTQ federal lawmaker from the state. But the dual mission reveals the urgency: Michigan’s queer community can’t rely on the Supreme Court’s mood swings to define their families.

The recent refusal by SCOTUS to hear Kim Davis’s marriage equality challenge gave the LGBTQ world a temporary exhale — but not a promise. The justices dodged the question instead of affirming that marriage equality is here to stay. Moss sees the writing on the marble wall.

“We know how the Supreme Court operates,” he said. “Are conservatives waiting for a stronger case? Will a future court decide differently? We cannot let the whims of the court dictate our destiny.”

A State That Supports Equality — But a Constitution That Doesn’t

Michigan voters have evolved dramatically since 2004. Polls show roughly 68 percent of residents support same-sex marriage. Even some Trump voters are telling Moss they believe in protecting LGBTQ families. But Michigan’s constitution still pretends it’s 2004 — and Moss says that disconnect is dangerous.

He’s already got every Democrat in the Senate backing the resolution. Now he’s trying to bring Republicans on board, arguing that the ban is wildly out of touch with their own voters. “This is out of step with where Michiganders are,” he said. “This is out of step with where Republicans are.”

But if Republicans refuse? Moss expects LGBTQ groups and allies to take the fight to voters through a ballot initiative — the same strategy that restored abortion rights in 2022.

Visibility, Real Lives, and the Stakes for Queer Families

For Moss, this isn’t political theater — it’s personal. “I’m not married, but those literally are my rights on the line,” he said. If the U.S. Supreme Court reverses Obergefell, Michigan queer couples could see their marriages voided overnight. “Those unions will be dissolved,” Moss warned, saying people who trust national Republicans to protect marriage equality are fooling themselves.

Moss points out that lived experience has already dismantled decades of anti-LGBTQ propaganda. “People have neighbors who are gay and married, co-workers who are gay and married, family members who are gay and married,” he said. “They build their homes just like anybody else.” When you see love up close, it’s pretty hard to demonize it.

And here’s the big picture: this isn’t just about Michigan, and it’s not just about marriage. The anti-LGBTQ movement is pushing bans on gender-affirming care, book restrictions, anti-drag laws, and attacks on trans kids. Marriage equality is part of the same fight for autonomy, dignity, and the freedom to exist without government permission slips.

If Republicans block Moss’s resolution, the voters may take matters into their own hands. And honestly? Michigan has already shown it knows how to make history at the ballot box.

This time, the stakes are simple: protect queer love, or let the Supreme Court decide who gets to be a family.