Conservative Coalition Launches 'Greater Than Campaign' to Overturn Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

'Greater Than Campaign' Seeks to Reverse Landmark Marriage Equality Decision

A new conservative initiative, the 'Greater Than Campaign,' officially launched on January 28, 2026, with the explicit aim of overturning Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage across the United States. This effort is spearheaded by a coalition of more than 47 family-focused advocacy groups, faith leaders, and policymakers.

Key Organizations and Figures Behind the Movement

The campaign is led by Them Before Us, a non-profit organization whose founder and president is Katy Faust. Other prominent organizations involved include the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, the American Family Association, and Texas Values. Notable individuals participating in the campaign include political commentators Michael Knowles and Allie Beth Stuckey, as well as Southern Baptist leader Al Mohler and Texas Values President Jonathan Saenz.

Core Arguments and Strategic Approach

The 'Greater Than Campaign' asserts that the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling prioritizes 'adult desires' over the 'natural right' of children to be raised by both a mother and a father. The campaign's central argument is that same-sex marriage inherently harms children by depriving them of this parental structure. Their tagline, 'Children are greater than equal,' reflects this focus.

The coalition has outlined a three-part strategy to achieve its objectives:

• Refocusing marriage policy on the parent-child relationship.
• Changing public opinion by highlighting perceived harms to children from same-sex marriage and other forms of family breakdown.
• Mobilizing Christian churches to advocate for policies that protect children according to their views.

The campaign's visual identity, featuring a yellow 'greater than' symbol on a blue background, is a direct counterpoint to the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) 'equals' sign logo.

Context of Obergefell v. Hodges

The Obergefell v. Hodges decision, delivered on June 26, 2015, mandated that all U.S. states must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. The Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling found that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees the right to marry to same-sex couples. Critics of the decision, including those now involved in the 'Greater Than Campaign,' have long argued that it represented judicial overreach and that the definition of marriage should be determined by individual states or legislatures.