May 17: 10-Year Anniversary of Marriage for Gay Couples in America

Ten years ago tomorrow, Massachusetts became the first state in America where same-sex couples could marry. Since then, 16 other states and Washington, DC have followed, resulting in 40% of Americans who now live in a state with the freedom to marry. Polling shows a near supermajority of Americans support marriage for gay couples.

Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, is a leading strategist and veteran of the marriage movement who can speak to the Massachusetts win, progress over the past 10 years, and the current landscape on marriage. Wolfson has been called “the godfather of gay marriage” by The Daily Beast and one of the "100 most influential people in the world" by TIME Magazine.

Same-sex couples began marrying in Massachusetts on May 17, 2004 following the landmark Goodridge v. Department of Public Health case. The first day of marriages also marked the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education – “civil rights karma,” Wolfson hailed it at the time.