What Wedding Officiants Should Know About Project 2025 & Gay Marriage

Will Project 2025 eliminate protections for marriage equality? Here’s what wedding officiants need to know

 

 

We’ve received several emails in the past week from AMM Ministers and wedding officiants who are concerned about the future of marriage rights under a new Trump administration. 

 

Specifically, many people are worried that the new Trump administration, along with a conservative Supreme Court, might eliminate federal protections for marriage equality. Without federal protections for marriage equality, individual states could pass or reinstate bans against same-sex marriage. 

 

Adding fuel to this fear is Project 2025, or the ‘2025 Presidential Transition Project,’ led by a conservative organization called the Heritage Foundation. Project 2025 published a 900+ page policy guide called the “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise,” that is deeply conservative. The book has been embraced by many Republicans, including some who worked with Trump’s campaign. Trump and Vance have tried to distance themselves from Project 2025, but people who work closely with them say that this policy guide will direct the country’s leadership for the next four years. 

 

If all of this has you worried too, we understand! 

 

Below, we talk about what Project 2025 does and doesn’t say about gay marriage – and what it says about marriage in general.

 

Like most things, there’s some good news and some bad news to share. But it’s important to remember that we don’t know yet if Project 2025 will be put into effect, and if so, to what extent. There’s no reason to panic, but it’s important to pay attention and stay informed over the coming weeks, months, and years. 

 

Hopefully, the information below can help you to keep moving forward, and to continue supporting, celebrating, and serving your couples and their families. 

 

 

What does Project 2025 say about same-sex marriage – and marriage in general?

 

 

The Bad News: Project 2025 promotes ‘biblical’ marriage & wants to eliminate federal protections for LGBTQ+ people

 

First, the bad news. 

 

In general, Project 2025 has a very narrow idea of what a family should look like, and defines the only healthy marriage as a traditional heterosexual marriage with children. It encourages all government leaders to promote and prioritize ‘biblical’ marriage and a traditional nuclear family.  

 

“Families comprised of a married mother, father, and their children are the foundation of a well-ordered nation and healthy society. Unfortunately, family policies and programs under President Biden’s HHS are fraught with agenda items focusing on “LGBTQ+ equity,” subsidizing single-motherhood, disincentivizing work, and penalizing marriage. These policies should be repealed and replaced by policies that support the formation of stable, married, nuclear families.” (Mandate for Leadership, p. 451)

 

It undermines the Respect for Marriage Act. 

 

““...The positive role of faith-based programs should be protected and prioritized so that these programs do not receive undue scrutiny or pressure to conform to nonreligious definitions of marriage and family as put forward by the recently enacted Respect for Marriage Act.” (Mandate for Leadership, p. 480, 481)

 

“For the sake of child well-being, programs should affirm that children require and deserve both the love and nurturing of a mother and the play and protection of a father. Despite recent congressional bills like the Respect for Marriage Act that redefine marriage to be the union between any two individuals, HMRE program grants should be available to faith based recipients who affirm that marriage is between not just any two adults, but one man and one unrelated woman.” (Mandate for Leadership, p. 481)

 

It falsely claims that nontraditional marriages harm children. 

 

“All other family forms involve higher levels of instability (the average length of same-sex marriages is half that of heterosexual marriages); financial stress or poverty; and poor behavioral, psychological, or educational outcomes…” (Mandate for Leadership, p. 481)

 

The plan also directs leaders to literally delete the terms ‘sexual orientation,’ ‘diversity,’ and ‘gender identity’ “out of every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists,” while repealing all existing federal protections for LGBTQ+ people. 

 

“The next conservative President must make the institutions of American civil society hard targets for woke culture warriors. This starts with deleting the terms sexual orientation and gender identity (“SOGI”), diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”), gender, gender equality, gender equity, gender awareness, gender-sensitive, abortion, reproductive health, reproductive rights, and any other term used to deprive Americans of their First Amendment rights out of every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.” (Mandate for Leadership, p. 4, 5)

 

If put into effect, Project 2025’s Mandate for Leadership would lead to widespread discrimination against same-sex couples and other LGBTQ+ families, as well as any nontraditional family. The risks are real not just for same-gender spouses, but for interracial, nonreligious and interfaith, or international families, and many more.

 

Some of the potential consequences of Project 2025 include: Same-sex spouses might be denied benefits; conservative businesses or service providers may be allowed to discriminate against LGBTQ+ customers or staff; children with same-sex parents might face increased harassment at school; public school programs promoting ‘biblical’ marriage may increase; and same-sex couples might face increased discrimination when adopting children or applying for a marriage license, among others.

 

 

The Good News: Project 2025 does not explicitly call for a ban on same-sex marriage

 

The good news isn't as comforting as we'd like it to be, but it is important to note: 

 

Project 2025 does not directly call for an end to same-sex marriage rights. Although the mandate describes same-sex marriages as unhealthy for children (which is vile and untrue), it does not directly mention a ban on same-sex marriages, or talk about a plan to eliminate marriage equality. 

 

And remember – we don’t know if this policy guide will be adopted by the Trump administration, either in part or in whole. Project 2025 is an independent initiative through the Heritage Foundation; it is not a government organization. Same-sex marriage has strong support among voters, with nearly 69% of Americans are in favor of marriage equality in 2024 even as our political leadership changes. This is good news.

 

Federal protections for marriage equality were granted by the Supreme Court in 2015 (in their ruling of Obergefell v Hodges), so it would be up to the Supreme Court to revisit or reverse federal marriage protections. While this could happen in the future, for now, at least, that is not on the table. (Overturning Obergefell in Congress without the support of the Supreme Court is possible but it would be difficult.)

 

Read more about threats to Obergefell v Hodges here: 

 

• The Threat to Same-Sex Marriage in a Post-Roe World (2022)
• Marriage Equality Threatened once more, as Two Supreme Court Justices Challenge Obergefell v Hodges (2020)

 

In the meantime: Here’s how marriage equality advocates are preparing for a new Trump administration 

 

In the meantime, marriage equality advocates around the country are taking action to protect same-sex marriage and nontraditional families during a second Trump presidency. And you can too! 

 

On election day, voters in Hawaii, Colorado, and California all voted to increase state protections for marriage equality, joining states like Nevada and Virginia.

 

• Good News! Voters in Three States Pass Marriage Equality Protections

The ACLU and other groups are working hard to protect LGBTQ+ people and their families. 

 

And wedding officiants and other wedding vendors are offering low-cost or free wedding services to LGBTQ+ couples ahead of inauguration day. (Watch AMM Minister Jimmie Berguin taking action to marry LGBTQ+ couples in the Pacific Northwest in the news clip below!)

 

There are many ways to support LGBTQ+ couples and nontraditional families in your community. One of the best ways to take action is to show people you care about them, and to fully support them on their wedding day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Read Next: 

 

• How to Officiate a Same-Sex Wedding Ceremony
   
• Same-Sex Wedding Ceremony Script with Reflection on Marriage Equality
   

 

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Get Ordained Online to Officiate a Wedding, with Help From AMM!  

 

Good things happen when friends and relatives help out at the wedding ceremony! Ask a friend or family member to officiate your wedding with free online ordination through American Marriage Ministries (AMM). 

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Why AMM? American Marriage Ministries is an inclusive nondenominational internet church that ordains and trains ministers to officiate marriage ceremonies. We are a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit church, and help people from all backgrounds and beliefs become ordained ministers for weddings. Our online ordination is free, accessible, and never expires.

 

Officiating weddings is an incredible honor, and a great way to show your love and support for the people getting married. As a wedding officiant, you will help to create memorable ceremonies and memories that last a lifetime.

AMM Ministers can legally officiate weddings in every state* (it's much harder in Virginia, where we're looking into our options). After getting ordained with AMM, you might need to register your ordination with your local county clerk’s office. Click the link above to get started! 

 

 

Become an ordained minister online with American Marriage Ministries and officiate wedding for friends and relatives. (Photo: franckreporter / iStock)

 

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