At 5:01PM (PST) on June 16, 2008 history was made. California issued its first marriage licenses to same-sex couples. On May 15, 2008, just over a month ago, the California Supreme Court declared that same-sex couples have the rights to get married. After the announcement was made San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom had an impromptu gathering in City Hall. His speech was powerful and beautifully spoken. I couldn't find it transcribed anywhere so I listened to it over and over again. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Date: May 15, 2008
Location: San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco, CA
Speaker: Gavin Newson, Mayor of San Francisco
What a day in California, What a day for America, What a day for equality! Who among us was prepared for this? This is an extraordinary moment and an extraordinary time and I can't impress upon you how proud I am to be a San Franciscan, how proud I am to stand here with Dennis Herrera and his team and all those you see behind me, in front of you, each side of you that have worked so hard over the last 4 years to get us to this point. This is an extraordinary day and at the end of the day, make no mistake this day This day is about real people and their lives. This day is about people being able to live their lives out-loud, this day is about people coming together and families all across the State of California and allowing themselves to be fully expressive. This is about Phillis Lion and Del Martin...
[Applause]
Because that's where it started. 52 years of love and devotion and constancy and faith in one and another. It's about their lives, their narrative, its about their story, its about their friends and its about their families, its about their brothers and sisters and its about millions of people and its about their parents and grand parents their friends and their families. Its about human dignity, it's about Civil Rights, and It's about time in California.
[Applause]
And by the way, as California goes, so goes the rest of nation. Its inevitable, this door is wide open now, its going to happen, whether you like it or not. This is the future and its now, courts across this country are waking up.
[Applause]
Four years ago we all stood here, what an extraordinary journey. And yes, as a catholic that is not allowed the (in audible) I can still talk to my catholic faith and can say God's delays are not God's denies. That justice in this case was delayed and not denied and to remind people that there are some fundamental terms that unite us all, and Dr. King that Dennis referenced in that wonderful comment he made about so many years about the long arch in history that bends towards justice also says something else. We are all bound together by a web of mutuality. We are all in this together, many parts but one body. This is so much bigger than the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Community. This is about families coming together, this is about what we represent as Americans and what the Constitution represents in terms of its principles and its protections. The Constitution is the winner today.
[Applause]
The Constitution was affirmed today, and the Constitution is bigger than all of us, bigger than the politicians, bigger than the pun dents, bigger than all of us.
[Applause]
So all I can say because I am utterly unprepared for this moment. Is to say thank you to all the leadership and the example in this city for generations. This could not have happened had we not had a city that has always recognized that its strength is in its remarkable diversity. This could not have happened had it not been for a city where people from every conceivable walk of life from every point of view are living together and advancing together across every conceivable difference. It wouldn't be allowed to happen, had it not been for a city that unites around its shared values. and that's really what iI am at the end of the day so proud of is San Francisco, and the values that were affirmed that our our city represents So Terry to your team, to Howard Rice, to the great leadership dennis herrar, to the California Supreme Court. to Mark Leno and the California Legislature to our Governor we are going to need to win this November. To all of you, thank you, this is a great day for California, a great day for America, this is a great day for the Constitution. Thank you all very much.
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