withever
freedom to marry
Marriage is at once a deeply personal commitment to another human being and a highly public celebration of the ideals of mutuality, companionship, intimacy, fidelity, and family. Because it fulfils yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection that express our common humanity, civil marriage is an esteemed institution, and the decision whether and whom to marry is among life’s momentous acts of self-definition.
Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall, writing for the majority, Goodridge v. Dept. Public Health, Mass. Supreme Judicial Court (November 18, 2003)
As we rejoice on the occasion of our marriage, we acknowledge that we are able to do so because we enjoy a fundamental civil right that is presently denied to most same-sex couples in America—the freedom to marry the person with whom one choses to spend the rest of one’s life. We look forward to the day when all couples enjoy this right and can receive full legal recognition of their mutual commitments and the families they have created together.
For more information on the efforts to extend this civil liberty to all people, and to find out how you can support the work being done across the United States, please visit the Freedom to Marry site.