Jim Obergefell is an American civil rights activist who was born on August 6, 1966, in Sandusky, Ohio, USA. Jim Obergefell is best known as the plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, which led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. The case was brought after Jim's partner of 20 years, John Arthur, was diagnosed with ALS and the couple sought legal recognition of their marriage in Ohio, where same-sex marriage was not yet legal. After John's death in 2013, Jim filed a lawsuit against Ohio's ban on same-sex marriage, which eventually led to the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality in 2015. Jim has since become a prominent advocate for LGBTQ rights, and has worked to promote marriage equality and other civil rights causes across the United States. In addition to his work as a civil rights activist, Jim Obergefell is also a business consultant and author, and has written about his experiences in the book "Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality."