From all corners of the country, LGBTs and allies spent Decision Day celebrating marriage equality in America, including here in Philadelphia.
Independence Mall
Dozens of local organizations sponsored a Decision Day rally at Independence Mall Friday evening, which drew hundreds of supporters.
Before a backdrop of Independence Hall, a handful of community and political leaders took to the podium, including Mayor Michael Nutter, who had stepped off a plane from Rome less than a half-hour before the rally.
“Buongiorno,” he greeted the crowd, which joined in cheers when the mayor announced the city had quickly raised the rainbow flag outside City Hall after the ruling.
Nutter noted that, while the community and its allies should celebrate the ruling, they shouldn’t lose sight of the other battles still to be won.
“Enjoy the happiness of the moment but none of us can be free until we’re all free, none of us have rights until all of us have rights,” he said. “Let us end discrimination of all kinds in the United States of America because that’s who we are — that’s why we’re Americans.”
William Way LGBT Community Center executive director Chris Bartlett also addressed the need for ongoing activism.
“We can now marry in all 50 states but, in many states, that marriage can result in the loss of your job,” he said, prompting chants of “shame” from the audience.
“Many other important protections still do not exist for the LGBT community; transgender equality, immigration reform and economic justice are just a few of the major pieces of work still to be addressed. So let’s enjoy this sweet moment of success and celebration and then take the energy and passion we have used with such effect to continue to pursue the path of full equality set forth in front of Independence Hall 50 years ago,” Bartlett said, referring to the Annual Reminder Day marches that took place in Philadelphia five decades ago.
The significance of the 50th anniversary was addressed by many on the speaker list, which included: GALAEI executive director Elicia Gonzales, Democratic mayoral nominee Jim Kenney, American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania executive director Reggie Shuford, Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations executive director Rue Landau, youth leader DeAngelo Cameron, the Rev. Jeffrey Haskins and business leader Christopher Labonte.
The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus closed out the rally with a performance of “Chapel of Love.”
The hundreds who gathered included seniors, families, allies and even 50 elementary-school students from out of state.
Kevin Taylor and Jeff Becker, both 33, said they were still reeling.
“My boss got an email update and I grabbed the mouse and clicked out and almost passed out in his office, I was so happy,” Taylor laughed about hearing the news of the SCOTUS ruling.
“It’s nice to know that I can go anywhere in this country now and not have to worry that I’ll become magically unmarried at the border of the state,” Becker said.
The couple got married Oct. 26, 2013, and said they experienced firsthand the dangers of marriage inequality while on their honeymoon in Florida.
“Jeff got really sick on the honeymoon so we had to go to the emergency room in the middle of the night. I was very well aware of what the laws were like in Florida and was so terrified the whole way to the hospital that the doctors wouldn’t give me medical information on my husband,” Taylor said. “It turned out fine but I’m so grateful now that no one in this country is ever going to have to experience something like that again.”
“Surreal” was a word echoed by many at the rally.
“It’s emotional and it’s great but it doesn’t feel real at the same time,” said Tracy Levesque, 44. “I would never have thought things would happen so quickly, so it’s exciting and strange at the same time.”
Marcello Brening, 36, agreed that the rapid pace of marriage equality in the past few years makes the moment hard to believe.
“My boyfriend said it best when he said that, when you’ve been repressed and denied this right for so long, when it comes true, you still don’t know what it really means,” he said.
As the country comes to terms with the new reality of marriage equality, Levesque said, she’s optimistic that that process will advance other LGBT-rights issues.
“Even more fundamental of a right than marriage is the right to housing and job security, but the fact is that LGBT folks still get fired in many states, denied housing in many states and that’s completely legal right now,” she said. “This is a big victory and I’m hoping that now all those other things are going to fall into place.”
National Constitution Center
Immediately after the ruling, the National Constitution Center opened its doors for a Civic Gathering, inviting visitors to learn about the ruling through real-time updates and explore the “Speaking Out for Equality” exhibit free of charge.
A few LGBT-rights supporters milled about outside the center, one man carrying an American flag on his shoulder as he rode his bike in a circle, and even former Gov. Ed Rendell made an appearance.
The wording of one of the exhibit’s interactive displays was quickly changed Friday to “the Supreme Court will decide” to “the Supreme Court has decided,” and William Way LGBT Community Center archivist Bob Skiba said other updates will be made to ensure accuracy.
With the Reminder Day celebration this weekend, Skiba said the timing of the ruling couldn’t have been more perfect.
“The Supreme Court has been saying over the past couple years that this is all very new, we need to move cautiously,” Skiba said. “But it’s not new; people have been working towards today for at least 50 years. It finally gained momentum but today we’re seeing the fruits of all that work over the last 50 years.”
The longevity of that fight was especially meaningful for Jerry Rineer, a Philadelphia resident who married his partner of 30 years last August in Pennsylvania.
“He sent me a text and said the Supreme Court made its ruling so I just had to come here,” he said about the Constitution Center. “It’s amazing. Now if we decide to retire and move, we can go to any state and feel safe doing that.”
The ruling was also particularly meaningful for Richard Brannon. The 20-year-old Philadelphia resident moved here about a year-and-a-half ago from Georgia, one of the handful of states that had yet to sanction marriage equality before Friday.
“When I came to Philly, I had never really been in an environment that was this open before,” he said. “So any time something like this happens, I want to be where the action is, to celebrate.”
Brannon was also on hand for last year’s rally when Pennsylvania legalized same-sex marriage, which happened to come on his birthday. He said that, while he expected the nation to eventually follow suit, the reality of that happening is exhilarating.
“It’s not very shocking because I think most people felt like this was coming for a long time, but it’s still very relieving that this finally happened,” he said. “There are of course still a lot of issues that have to be tackled in the LGBT community — marriage isn’t the final stopping point — but it’s still very exciting.”
That notion of continuing forward was shared by Bill Fedullo, 21, an intern with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, who followed the ruling announcement with his colleagues in their conference room.
“We’ve had this in Pennsylvania for a year now and that was really exciting when that happened, but it’s nice that we can now extend this right to couples throughout the country,” he said. “It’s obviously not the end of the LGBT-rights movement, but it’s a pretty significant victory and it’s good that our country is finally recognizing the rights of LGBT couples.”