Baker v. Nelson Supreme Court Dismissal

If September was the “I do,” October was the “No you don’t.” When the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed Baker v. Nelson on October 10, 1972, it set back marriage equality for decades.

The dismissal wasn’t even a full hearing — just a one-line rejection saying there was no substantial federal question. That meant lower courts could use it as precedent to block other same-sex marriage cases for years.

The ruling effectively closed the door on marriage equality in federal courts until the early 2000s, when new cases began challenging it successfully. Baker v. Nelson became a wall activists had to climb over in every subsequent marriage case — including Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, which finally overturned it.

Even though the Supreme Court dismissed it, Baker and McConnell’s marriage license was never officially revoked. Sometimes, smiles are defiant — like when you get told “no” and keep living your truth anyway.

‍