Why does Virginia’s Question 2 matter to my marriage?

My wife Lauri and I voted “yes” on Question 2, the proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution that would remove the state’s existing constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and require Virginia to recognize and treat all legally valid marriages equally, regardless of sex, gender, or race.

Same-sex marriage is currently protected by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision. But Virginia’s Constitution still contains the language adopted in 2006 that says only a union between a man and a woman may be recognized as a marriage.

I don't know what would happen to existing same-sex marriages if Obergefell were ever overturned. That's precisely why I think removing that language from Virginia's Constitution matters.

And Question 2 isn't only about same-sex marriage. It would also protect marriage regardless of race, bringing to mind Virginia's history with Loving v. Virginia.

If you live in Virginia, Question 2 is on the 2026 ballot. Here's why it matters to me—and to my marriage.

You can find the transcript at https://spectrumpodcast.org/2026/09/30/why-question-2-matters-to-my-marriage/

00:00 Early Voting Has Begun

00:22 What Is Question 2?

00:49 Why Question 2 Matters to My Marriage

01:03 The Risk If Obergefell Is Overturned

01:55 Why That Risk Isn't Hypothetical

02:22 Explicitly Protecting Our Marriages

02:29 Question 2 Protects More Than Same-Sex Marriage

02:37 Loving v. Virginia and Marriage Equality

03:05 What Question 2 Would Protect

03:14 Why I'm Asking You to Vote Yes

03:28 The American Ideal Behind Question 2