Delegates at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting voted Monday to approve a resolution calling for the repeal of same-sex marriage just weeks before the 10th anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage nationwide.
The two-day gathering in Dallas brought together members of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, who backed the resolution by a wide margin. Obergefell, decided in 2015, held that states must recognize and license same-sex marriages under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses.
SBC President Clint Pressley opened the meeting by highlighting a recent uptick in baptisms and addressing what he called pressing “cultural issues.” He did not mention the resolution directly but reaffirmed that “God’s creation and plan is good.” His remarks came amid renewed criticism of the Convention’s handling of sexual abuse allegations. An independent report by Guidepost Solutions concluded that survivors were often ignored or dismissed, with leaders claiming they lacked the authority to act.
Beyond opposing gay marriage, the resolution promotes a broader socially conservative agenda. It calls for restricting sports betting, defunding Planned Parenthood, opposing commercial surrogacy, and rejecting what it describes as the normalization of “transgender ideology.” It also reaffirms that marriage is between a man and a woman, that gender is binary, and that families are primarily designed for procreation.
The resolution builds on the SBC’s growing alignment with hardline conservative causes. Last year, the Convention condemned in vitro fertilization (IVF) following its campaign to overturn Roe v. Wade. That stance was later undercut by an executive order from President Trump aimed at protecting and expanding IVF access.
Whether this year’s resolution will have any legal effect is uncertain, but it reflects a growing movement to roll back federal protections for LGBTQ+ rights. While same-sex marriage enjoys strong support among American voters, the Convention’s position is increasingly echoed by conservative leaders in Washington. House Speaker Mike Johnson is a Southern Baptist, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has called for revisiting Obergefell. Vice President JD Vance has also argued that the government should promote public “morality”.
