This June 26 marks 10 years since the Obama White House lit up in rainbow hues to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling for nationwide marriage equality. Look back at the photos from that day, and you’ll see revelers waving flags, bearing signs reading “Love Wins,” and embracing on the steps of the court. In other images, queer couples appear thoughtful, considering the winding road that led to the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. Many in the LGBTQ+ community took to the streets and to queer gathering spots to celebrate en masse.
Those of us in queer media, like The Advocate’s editors who covered incremental steps toward marriage since civil unions were still a pipe dream in the ’90s, strategized in the lead-up to that momentous day. And when the Supreme Court’s decision came down, we were at the ready in a penthouse office in the Westwood section of Los Angeles to report the facts and tell our stories of first marriages. To be sure, there were hoots, hollers, and tears of joy and some sadness for those of us like me who never dared to dream that day would come.
To honor national marriage equality’s 10th anniversary, I’ve assembled a panel of editors who worked tirelessly on marriage equality coverage, including some who covered the first civil unions through Massachusetts becoming the first state with marriage equality through California’s cruel Proposition 8, the religious-backed ballot measure that revoked same-sex couples’ right to marry in the state. Though I was the editor in chief of our company’s sapphic site, SheWired.com, at the time, I contributed to the stories that day and bore witness to my colleagues’ extraordinary work.
The Advocate editors in 2015 when marriage equality became the law of the land
The Advocate editors in 2015 when marriage equality became the law of the land Courtesy
Among those who’ll be on hand for a livestream on June 20, 11 a.m. Eastern, is the then-editorial director for The Advocate’s parent company, Here Media, Lucas Grindley, now the executive director of Next Cities. The panel also includes Sunnivie Brydum, then the managing editor of The Advocate (recently managing editor at YES! Media), and Trudy Ring, The Advocate’s copy chief in 2015, who is now the brand’s copy chief and senior politics editor. Also joining are Jase Peeples, the entertainment editor of The Advocate (now global news editor at Healthgrades and author of the YA novel Twirl) when the ruling for marriage equality came down, and Out Editor in Chief Daniel Reynolds, who was The Advocate’s social media editor in 2015. Finally, there is Michelle Garcia, who is currently the editorial director of NBC News Digital at NBC BLK, joins the panel. Though she had recently left The Advocate to take on the role of senior identities editor at Mic.com, her work as our managing editor leading up to that day in 2015 was integral to The Advocate’s coverage.
Join us in a lively discussion moderated by me, Tracy E. Gilchrist, that will include stories, political and personal, of what it was like to be in the room with other primarily queer people covering the news of the decision that signaled a sea change in LGBTQ+ acceptance.