LGBT

I walked through Town Hall Seattle’s doors last week for the forum on “Hospital Mergers and Religious Restrictions on Health Care” ready to work at the ACLU-WA booth. Handing out information and answering general questions. I watched as articles about mergers between secular and religious hospitals flew off the table into the hands of worried people. As more and more people flowed into the lobby, I was struck by the community’s concern about the situation. More than 400 people attended the event.

The ACLU of Washington staff, volunteers and supporters marched for LGBT rights at the 2013 Trans Pride and Seattle Pride celebrations.  On the heels of the US Supreme Court ruling that overturned the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and a few months after the passage of marriage equality in our state, it should come as no surprise that jubilation filled the air and supporters filled the streets at these events.

Today is a great day in America – for loving couples and their families, and for Americans who treasure our country’s basic values of freedom and fairness.   If America is be true to its values, they must be applied equally to everyone.  And that’s what the highest court in the land said today.

Ever since 9/11, civil libertarians have been known for issuing dire warnings about erosions of fundamental rights: Guantanamo, indefinite detention powers, warrantless wiretapping, America’s addiction to incarceration, attacks on women’s reproductive freedom, use of RFID chips on public school students (yep, a girl in Texas is actually suing her school district over that one). These are serious and ongoing concerns.

Love and equality won nearly 54% of the vote in Washington on November 6th.  In approving Referendum 74, the voters recognized that all committed, loving couples, gay and straight alike, should be able to marry under state law.  And on December 9th same-sex couples were able to take matrimonial vows in homes and courthouses across our state for the first time!

Russell delivered these remarks when he accepted the ACLU-WA’s Youth Activist Award for 2012 at the Bill of Rights Celebration Dinner on Nov. 10.

The Bill of Rights Dinner on Saturday was such a celebration!  I have to tell you a story about it.