In Massachusetts May 17th marks the 15th anniversary of marriage equality. It was a watershed moment in the history of civil rights when the landmark Goodridge ruling designated the constitutional right of gay & lesbian marriages in Massachusetts & at midnight on May 17, 2004 Cambridge, MA was the first city in the United States to issue marriage licenses for gay & lesbian couples. We were there & filmed our historic award-winning short film “OUTTAKE: Gay Marriage 2004” shot from midnight on May 17th 2004 in Cambridge & throughout the day in Boston when marriage equality became the law in Massachusetts. The film became instrumental in the passage of marriage equality nationwide in 2013 & was shot by Kirsten Martin & narrated by Arline Isaacson Co Chair of the Massachusetts Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus. The film then morphed into OUTTAKE MEDIA LLC in 2007 & is now being showcased on the homepage of our new boutique streaming site that launched May 1st.
WATCH FILM
In Washington DC the Equality Act is about to be voted on today. H.R. 5 passed through the Judiciary Committee on May 1st & the measure has unprecedented support from nearly 70 percent of Americans, more than 280 members of Congress, more than 200 major businesses, more than 70 faith organizations & more than 500 statewide & national organizations. The legislation prioritized by Speaker Nancy Pelosi will ensure LGBTQ people are protected under the nation’s civil rights laws. As an advocate for LGBTQ equality I’m proud of my community resilience to keep moving forward until the Equality Act becomes the law of the land.
Happy 15th Anniversary Massachusetts!!
LISTEN: Charlotte Robinson Talks OUTTAKE MEDIA Launch
Hear Audio Chats w/ LGBTQ Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™
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15 years ago, something absolutely extraordinary happened:
ReplyDeleteSome 10% of the adult population in Massachusetts was finally allowed to share a critically important societal benefit. We were finally allowed to be treated equally, or rather more equally under the laws of MA. We were finally allowed to legally participate in a revered political & cultural phenomenon that has existed for centuries. We were finally allowed to legally enjoy the benefits, protections and privileges the straight world had long before taken for granted. We were finally allowed to receive legal approbation of our commitments to love, honor and cherish till death due we part. And we were finally allowed to have the weddings our parents always wanted.... Well.... sort of.
15 years ago, our worlds changed significantly for the better. And we moved toward the equality we had always deserved. And 15 years later, we can show that everything we asserted during our advocacy for marriage equality was true: That our having the right to marry did not cause western civilization to be torn asunder. In fact, it changed the world for the better.