Hundreds of LGBT people and their friends and supporters turned out at West Hollywood Park yesterday for a tumultuous and enthusiastic celebration of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right.
“Many of us spent much of our lives believing we would never live to see this day. But here we are. Just as the Confederate flag is coming down the rainbow flag is rising and it’s about damn time!” said Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. LGBT Center and one of more than dozen speakers.
Also on the podium were members of West Hollywood’s City Council, each of whom offered enthusiastic support for the decision in speeches often interrupted by loud applause and chants of “Love rules! Love rules!”
Councilmember John Duran reflected on how the LGBT community has come. He recalled how 23 years ago he was part of a group that organized a protest nearby of people like him who were infected by HIV. So many people then were dying of AIDS he said, but the community eventually pushed the government to act. “The price we paid was huge, but victory sure is sweet,” he said.
Mayor Lindsey Horvath expressed her pride in the city’s role as a leader in LGBT rights, noting that it was the first in the country to pass a resolution in support of marriage equality and in 1985 created a same-sex marriage registry. Horvath also reminded the crowd that more work needs to be done to secure equal rights for immigrants and living wages.
Councilmember Lauren Meister also praised the decision, saying it gave her confidence that “where there’s love, there’s hope.” And Councilmember John Heilman, a member of the nation’s first City Council with an LGBT majority, reflected on the city’s role as a source of inspiration for LGBT people.”
Councilmember John D’Amico stood on the podium with Keith Rand, his partner of 23 years, who he married in 2008 when LGBT marriage was legal before the passage in California of Proposition 8. He startled and delighted the crowd, saying “Today, we wanted to come up here and show you what our gay marriage looks like” as he gave Rand a long and passionate kiss.
The Supreme Court decision, announced Friday morning, will require the 13 states that do not permit same-sex marriage to do so. It brings to an end a decade-long campaign by LGBT activists that grew steam in recent years, partly because of a shift in public opinion on the issue. A Gallup poll in 1996 showed 68 percent of Americans were opposed to legalizing same-sex marriage while 27 percent supported it and five percent were undecided. A CNN poll in 2010 showed a slight majority in support of same-sex marriage. And various polls this year showed that as many as 63 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage. With the Supreme Court’s decision, the United States joins 19 countries around the world ranging from France to South Africa that have legalized marriage between people of the same sex.
The decision is of particular significance in West Hollywood, where an estimated 42-45 percent of the population is composed of LGBT people. West Hollywood was one of the first cities in the country to pass a resolution in support of marriage equality. In June 2008, the city, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Register-Recorder Clerk, began to issue marriage licenses and perform civil ceremonies for same-sex couples after the California Supreme Court ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.
The city was forced to halt those marriages in November 2008 with the passage of Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage. A long legal battle ensued in federal court, which finally resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court dismissing an appeal in Hollingsworth v. Perry in June 2013 allowing same-sex marriages to resume. The City of West Hollywood launched a marriage celebration, and to date, West Hollywood Council members and city officials have performed hundreds of civil ceremonies and registered thousands.
Photographer Jim Garrecht captured the people and emotion in the photos on the pages that follow:
[…] Hundreds Rally at West Hollywood Park to Celebrate Same-Sex Marriage … Mayor Lindsey Horvath expressed her pride in the city's role as a leader in LGBT rights, noting that it was the first in the country to pass a resolution in support of marriage equality and in 1985 created a same-sex marriage registry. Horvath also … Read more on WEHOville […]
Yes, the setup was really underwhelming. The anti-prop 8 rallies were much better coordinated and marketed. There should have been a march or something as well incorporated. Owell, it is nice to be celebrating something for once and not protesting!
Yes, as excited as I was to be there, this was a poorly organized rally. Two years ago, they not only closed San Vicente, but they had a massive stage, and powerful speakers. I could barely hear or see anything at this event, so I lasted for about 20 minutes. I could have waded through a very thick crowd to see or hear something, if I wanted to make the effort, but they should have pulled something better together, even if it was something that had to be scheduled last minute. This was one of the biggest moments for gay… Read more »
Let’s not write the obit for “Gay” West Hollywood quite yet; it is still alive and kicking, perhaps a bit more nuanced but there is still a lot of life left in the old girl. If you really want to keep the spirit alive, maybe we should consider what we can do as individuals. Not to put a damper on the incredible moment we are in, back in 2008 I was a “No on 8” volunteer and working Santa Monica Blvd. was not exactly the most inspiring moment in my career as an activist. We need to remind ourselves that… Read more »
Chris – WeHo now has the opportunity to keep influencing the country by showing how our creative city supports its children. Rich with music, history, art and design, providing a middle & high school education would give a new generation the opportunity to say that they were born and raised in West Hollywood. As it stands now, our city is losing wonderful families, both gay and straight, in search of secondary schools. We’re robbing both our city and kids (all three schools worth), the opportunity to sculpt West Hollywood into a hometown. To truly show how education can be done.… Read more »
Yes, Larry, you led the cause for the flag. We all know that, but thanks for the constant reminders. By the way, did anyone notice that the stage was so low that it was almost impossible to see the speakers and the sound was so soft that some were not even heard. I expected it would be like it was 2 years ago with a stage in San Vicente so we call all see and hear. Jimmy, you’re probably right about the number. The “tens of thousands” was probably provided by the same people who always overestimate the number of… Read more »
there were aproximately 1800-2300 from what some of the sheriffs told me.
Our West Hollywood new city flag looked so beautiful as the backdrop to yesterday’s event. Can you believe it was only 15 months ago the council voted to incorporate the rainbow symbol into our city flag. It makes me very proud to have led that fight and to look at our city flag and all it represents as our global footprint.
KCAL news at 8 pm said “tens of thousands” were there. Thanks for the more tempered coverage. As I listened to helicopters swirling around just before the 11 pm newscasts, I had a melancholy thought – the decision is great news, but are we now at a point that media interest in the gay rights struggle (which continues despite this great victory) and here in the LA area interest in West Hollywood is now mostly over? This parallels the evolutionary decline of the city as a gay center, which will be hastened as the marriage ruling works to normalize gay… Read more »