Twenty years ago, on May 17, 2004, after a protracted fight, gay and lesbian couples were granted a right that most Americans likely take for granted — the right to marry.
“I was elated,” said Jeffry Pike, who participated in demonstrations at the Massachusetts State House leading up to the landmark decision. “But it was more — good, what happens next? Let’s move forward.”
On Nov. 18, 2003, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled Massachusetts’ ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. The court stayed its ruling for 180 days until May 17, 2004 when marriage between two men or two women was legally recognized by the state.
“Barred access to the protections, benefits, and obligations of civil marriage, a person who enters into an intimate, exclusive union with another of the same sex is arbitrarily deprived of membership in one of our community’s most rewarding and cherished institutions,” Chief Justice Margaret Marshall wrote in her opinion. “That exclusion is incompatible with the constitutional principles of respect for individual autonomy and equality under law.”
According to the Pew Research Center, it wouldn’t be until 2008 that a second state — Connecticut — followed Massachusetts’ lead in legalizing same-sex marriage. In subsequent years, other states followed suit, and in 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that all bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional.
According to Human Rights Watch, the number of Gen Z adults (ages 18 to 25) who identify as LGBTQ is growing — partly attributed to the growing social acceptance of people in the community. Based on a poll conducted last summer by Public Religion Research Institute, roughly 28% of Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+, compared to 6% of millennials, 7% of Generation X, 4% of baby boomers, and 4% of the Silent Generation.
“It’s so important to me that all individuals are respected for who they are,” said Leslie Talmadge, an ally and chair of the Belmont LGBTQ+ Alliance. “I think it’s so easy to feel fearful of someone you don’t know much about, but at this point, I don’t think there’s anyone in Belmont who doesn’t know someone who’s gay or transgender and that’s a great equalizer. Sadly, not everywhere is like Massachusetts. … It’s really important to make sure every community is welcome and accepting.”
In recognition of the 20th anniversary, The Belmont Voice spoke with four couples about what marriage equality means to them.
