Kentucky couple reflects on unexpected journey 10 years after marriage equality ruling

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It's now been 10 years since a landmark Supreme Court ruling made same-sex marriage legal across the United States, and a Kentucky couple was there every step of the way.

Kim and Tammy Franklin didn't join the fight for marriage equality because they wanted notoriety or special treatment -- in fact they wanted the exact opposite.

"The point was that it wouldn't be a big deal, that anybody could marry who they love and we weren't going to be a big deal," Kim said. "That's just the way it was, it was just normal."

The Franklins were part of the Kentucky case that would go on to merge with cases in Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee, before it eventually went before the U.S. Supreme Court. They had no idea at the time that when they filed the case, it would soon take over their lives.

The case centered around the protections outlined in the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The court ruled it guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry and for all states to recognize the marriage.

The Franklins traveled to Connecticut to wed in 2012, but the Shelbyville couple's marriage wouldn't be recognized in Kentucky until the Supreme Court's ruling.

In the decade since, the couple has found acceptance in some unlikely corners.

"We have neighbors that have completely different political beliefs than us, but we're still neighbors," Kim said. "If they need something, they come up and ask us, we're still neighbors."

This month, the United States Baptist Convention endorsed a national gay marriage ban and announced it is actively seeking to overturn the Supreme Court ruling.

The Franklins were surprised, yet disappointed. "Come on people, really?" Kim said. "I thought we were past this."

The Franklins lead a quiet life in Shelby County and their story is now part of history, forging the path for other couples.

"We want people to know that we're not trying to take anything away that you have," Tammy said. "We just want to be accepted, loved, and not scared."

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