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#LoveWins: Celebrating One Year of Marriage Equality in America
In a historic 5-4 ruling exactly a year ago, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that bans on marriage for same-sex couples are unconstitutional, paving the way for nationwide marriage equality.
Two years prior, rulings in the historic Supreme Court cases United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act and brought marriage equality back to California, respectively, laying the groundwork for Obergefell v. Hodges to make marriage equality the law of the land in all 50 states.
Yet after these victories, in most states in this country, a couple who gets married at 10 a.m. remains at risk of being fired from their jobs by noon and evicted from their home by 2 p.m. simply for posting their wedding photos on Facebook. No one should be fired, evicted from their home, or denied services because of who they are or whom they love. All LGBTQ Americans deserve a fair chance to earn a living and provide for their families and this bill will help ensure that all employees are hired, fired or promoted based on their performances
As we celebrate one year of nationwide marriage equality, we must also reflect on how far we still have to go. In July, less than a month after the decision, HRC endorsed the Equality Act, a landmark federal non-discrimination bill that would ensure all LGBTQ Americans have the protections from discrimination in federal law they deserve.
In 2016 alone, more than 200 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in 34 states. HRC has been on the ground fighting back against these dangerous pieces of legislation. While most have been defeated, five of those hateful bills (one in North Carolina, Tennessee and Kansas and two in Mississippi) have become law.
Tragically, those who lost their lives in the Orlando attack two weeks ago demonstrate why our battle against hatred and violence is so important to the LGBTQ community.
As we honor and celebrate this historic day, we must recommit ourselves to ending discrimination against LGBTQ people and help realize a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
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