A majority of Americans believe the
Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade makes it more
likely that the high court will reverse itself on Obergefell v.
Hodges.
The landmark case striking down state
laws and constitutional bans limiting marriage to heterosexual
couples hit its seventh anniversary on Sunday.
Like Roe, Obergefell was
based on a right to privacy.
In an opinion concurring with the
majority on the high court to overturn the right to an abortion,
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the court should reconsider its
decisions in Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,
referring to cases that found a right to contraception, same-sex
relationships, and marriage equality, respectively.
According to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist
national poll, 56 percent of Americans believe that the Supreme
Court's decision also jeopardizes these rights.
A plurality of respondents (42%) said
that they are “very concerned” that the Supreme Court will use
the decision to reconsider previous rulings, including 89 percent of
Democrats and 18 percent of Republicans.
A majority of Americans (57%) also
believe the decision to overturn Roe was politically
motivated.
"With the midterm elections less
than five months away, the decision by SCOTUS has sent shockwaves
through the electorate," said Lee M. Miringoff, Director of the
Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. "Men are +12 points
and women are +18 points more likely to support congressional
candidates who pledge to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade.
Digging deeper, 63% of women, including 74% of suburban women, are
also concerned that the Court’s decision is a harbinger of things
to come."
The United States celebrated seven
years of nationwide marriage equality on June 26.