Freedom to Marry launches ad making the case for marriage in TN

Today, May 29, Freedom to Marry launched a TV ad that follows the story of a man who's dedicated his life to serving his country and fellow Americans in the United States Navy, and yet still lacks the freedom to marry in his home state of Tennessee.

Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld lives in Nashville with the love of his life, Judd Taback, where he is on the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association. He is just recently back from a 9-month deployment in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and was just promoted to Commander in the Navy.

In the ad, Jesse explains why being denied the rights and responsibilities of marriage is damaging to him:

I’m a Republican, I’m a doctor, and I’m a soldier. As a military physician, I take care of other people’s loved ones who are wounded in combat. But here at home, I’m fighting a different fight. Because I’m gay, I’m not allowed to marry my partner here in Tennessee where we live. I was able to stand up and put my life on the line for the freedoms that we all enjoy, and yet I don’t have the freedom to marry my partner Judd. Support the freedom to marry, because freedom means freedom for everyone.

Marc Solomon, national campaign director of Freedom to Marry, applauded Jesse's strength within and outside of the Navy:

I’ve known Jesse Ehrenfeld for more than a decade and he is a true hero. Jesse proudly puts his life on the line for his country, and yet at home in Tennessee, he is denied the freedom to marry his partner Judd and made a second-class citizen because he is gay. Jesse’s story poignantly demonstrates how wrong it is that in thirteen states, gay and lesbian Americans are still denied the freedom to marry the person they love. It’s time for the Supreme Court to bring our country to national resolution, ensuring that all Americans, including patriots like Jesse, are treated as equals under the law.

Tennessee is one of the four states with cases before the United States Supreme Court on the question of the freedom to marry. Oral arguments were heard in the cases from Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan on April 28, and a decision is expected late this June.

Prior to the oral arguments, over 300 conservatives signed a brief urging the Supreme Court to rule in favor of marriage for same-sex couples.

Read more about the freedom to marry in Tennessee here.

Watch the full video here: