Looking back on 20 years of same-sex marriage

WAMU 88.5 | By Emilce Quiroz

Published May 28, 2024 at 2:18 PM EDT

In 2004 Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage after the state’s Supreme Court found that their Constitution could no longer exclude same-sex couples from civil marriage rights. That watershed decision from Goodridge vs. Department of Health paved the way for LGBTQ+ rights across the country, which eventually saw same-sex marriage federally legalized in 2015. Since then, more than 700,000 same-sex couples have married across the country.

But what prompted the fight for same-sex marriage in the first place? And where does the fight for equal rights under the law stand today?

Editors note: In the live taping of this episode, we incorrectly state that Mary Bonauto works for GLAAD but she works for GLAD Legal Advocates and Defenders.

Emilce Quiroz

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