Philadelphia attorney urges same-sex couples to get married as Supreme Court reviews marriage laws

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Philadelphia attorney urges same-sex couples to get married as Supreme Court reviews marriage laws

Marriage equality is back in the national spotlight. On Friday, the United States Supreme Court announced it will weigh whether to revisit same-sex marriage, a move that’s reigniting uncertainty for thousands of couples whose love and lives are once again being debated.

CBS News Philadelphia first met Anthony Lewis and Daniel Simpson last June during our Heart of Pride special, celebrating 10 years of marriage equality. Even then, the couple shared their concerns about what might happen if the Court revisited that decision and took legal steps to protect their relationship, just in case.

“It feels like we’re in a world where there’s one step forward with progress and then two steps back,” said Anthony Lewis.

Now, that concern is closer to reality. The Supreme Court is considering whether to take up a case brought by former Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, who famously refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Davis is asking the justices to overturn the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling — the landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide — citing her religious beliefs.

Philadelphia attorney Angela Giampolo, who worked with Lewis and Simpson through her firm, the Giampolo Law Group, says her message to same-sex couples right now is simple:

“I always tell people don’t be scared. Just be prepared,” she said.

Giampolo encourages couples to take proactive steps, from estate planning to legal documentation, to ensure their rights are protected beyond their marriage certificate.

While there will be no immediate ruling or change on Nov. 7, Giampolo advises couples considering marriage to act sooner rather than later.

“If you are in a committed relationship and you were and are considering getting married, I do advise doing so sooner rather than later — safely, with a pre-nuptial,” she added.

Across the country, there are now more than 820,000 married same-sex couples, more than double the number before marriage equality became law in 2015. Nearly 300,000 children are being raised in those families, including about 24,000 couples in Pennsylvania.

For Lewis and Simpson, and so many others, this moment isn’t about politics. It’s about family.

“Our marriage is no different than anyone else’s,” Lewis said. “Good times, bad times. Highs and lows. It’s just two people who happen to meet and fall madly in love with each other and want to spend the rest of our life together, and the fact that we’re two men doesn’t take away from that at all.”