As Pride Month 2025 unfolds, Congressman Troy Carter is urging Americans not to mistake celebration for victory. In a powerful op-ed published by MSNBC, Carter writes, “The fight for marriage equality isn’t over — especially in my home state of Louisiana.”
Referencing the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015, Carter recalls that moment as one when “millions of Americans finally exhaled.” The ruling recognized that “the right to marry, regardless of gender, was… a long-overdue step forward in our nation’s march toward equal justice.” But nearly a decade later, he warns, that hard-won right is facing renewed attack from state legislatures across the country.
“Lawmakers in at least nine states, including my home state of Louisiana, have introduced legislation aimed at undermining, restricting or outright overturning Obergefell,” he writes. “Some of these measures encourage the Supreme Court to revisit and reverse its own ruling. Others quietly lay legal groundwork to chip away at marriage equality piece by piece.”
Carter is direct in his condemnation of these efforts: “The right to marry who you love is not negotiable. It’s not a bargaining chip. It’s a constitutional protection rooted in dignity, liberty and equal protection under the law.”
This fight, he emphasizes, is not theoretical. “This work is not abstract. It is deeply personal, because equality is personal.” He frames the issue in human terms: “It’s about the teacher who can’t visit their spouse in the hospital. The young couple who fears starting a family in a state that may one day strip away their rights. The child who deserves to grow up in a country where their family is respected under the law.”
For Carter, this is not a new battleground—it’s a continuation of a lifelong commitment. “In 1993, as a young state representative, I introduced legislation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation — one of the first such bills in Louisiana’s history, and the very first to ever reach the House floor,” he recalls. Although the bill didn’t pass, it marked a pivotal moment in Louisiana’s political history. For that early stand, Carter was awarded the Acclaim Award for Political Leadership by the Forum for Equality.
He details other milestones from his decades in public service. “In 1999, while on the New Orleans City Council, I authored the Domestic Partnership Registry, allowing same-sex couples to publicly declare their relationships and gain basic legal protections. Even earlier, in 1997, the city extended health benefits to domestic partners of city employees — a bold move demonstrating New Orleans’ long-standing commitment to fairness.”
His record continued in the state senate. “In 2016… I introduced Senate Bill 436 to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The opposition remained fierce — but I stood firm.”
Today, Carter serves as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Congressional Equality Caucus. “I proudly co-authored and voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, ensuring that marriage equality remains protected in federal law even as extremist voices seek to dismantle it.”
Carter warns that recent attacks on marriage equality are part of a broader, coordinated strategy. “These renewed attacks on Obergefell aren’t isolated incidents. They are part of a larger, coordinated strategy to reverse progress and resurrect discrimination. The same arguments once used to oppose interracial marriage are now being repackaged to target same-sex couples. Hate may evolve its language, but its purpose remains the same.”
He doesn’t hold back in his rebuke of colleagues pushing these measures: “To my colleagues introducing these measures: You are not defending tradition; you are dismantling freedom. You are not protecting values; you are violating constitutional rights. History will not be kind to those who stand on the wrong side of humanity.”
The conclusion of Carter’s op-ed is a call to action as much as a reflection. “The fight for equality demands vigilance. We cannot allow complacency to roll back hard-won rights. That means standing up, speaking out and staying engaged.”
“As I’ve said throughout my career, no one is free until we all are free. The work continues — and I will not stop. None of us can afford to.”
Editor’s note: You can read the full op-ed here.
Mr. Carter,
Thank you for standing up for the rights of ALL Americans, and for diligently supporting the LGBTQ+ community. It takes a lot of guts to stand up for what you believe in in a country filled with judgement and hatred, and I want you to know that I greatly appreciate and admire you.
Please tell me what I can do to help you fight the effort of the Louisiana Legislature to overturn Obergefell. How can I help you prevent our state and this country from sliding backwards into discrimination.
I’ll be waiting to hear from you!
Sincerely,
Mom to a gay son and supporter of equality for the LGBTQ+ community!