Massachusetts marks the 20th anniversary of landmark same-sex marriage ruling
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Friday marks the 20th anniversary of the first same-sex marriage licenses being issued in Massachusetts, following a landmark ruling by the State’s Supreme Judicial Court.
Events are planned around the area.
In Boston, former Governor Deval Patrick will headline a speaking program at the Arlington Street Church.
The issuance of licenses on May 17, 2004, to same-sex couples followed a November 18, 2003 4-3 opinion on by the SJC in the case Goodridge v. the Dept. Public Health. The group GLAD had filed the case in 2001, setting off a years-long effort for equality when it came to marriage.
Two of the plaintiffs in the Goodridge ruling, David Wilson and Rob Compton are among the scheduled speakers at Friday’s event in Boston.
The couple was married on May 17, 2004, at Arlington Street Church.
Same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2015.
The City of Cambridge, where the first same-sex licenses were issued is marking the anniversary over several days.
On Friday night, a Marriage Equality event will be hosted by Mayor E. Denise Simmons and the Cambridge Museum of History and Culture at the Kendall Center Public Lobby. It will feature a photography exhibition, a keynote address from former Massachusetts State Representative Byron Rushing, and live music.
On Saturday, the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission and City of Cambridge’s Office of Equity and Inclusion is hosting an event at Cambridge City Hall 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring a performance, and speeches.
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