Freedom to Marry

Freedom to Marry
Name	Freedom to Marry
Type	Civil rights advocacy organization
Founded	2003
Founders	Evan Wolfson
Headquarters	New York City
Focus	Marriage equality
Dissolved	2016

Contents

Freedom to Marry

Freedom to Marry was an American civil rights campaign founded in 2003 by Evan Wolfson that advocated for same-sex marriage recognition and marriage equality in the United States. The campaign engaged with landmark legal cases such as Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, legislative efforts in statehouses including Massachusetts General Court and California State Legislature, and national politics involving administrations like the George W. Bush administration and the Barack Obama presidential campaign. It coordinated with organizations such as Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU LGBT & HIV Project, and allied advocacy groups across federal and state levels.

Definition and Scope

Freedom to Marry defined its mission as securing marriage equality through litigation, legislation, public education, and electoral work, seeking changes in laws including state constitutions like those amended by ballot initiatives in California Proposition 8 (2008), Minnesota Amendment 1 (2012), and statutes such as the Defense of Marriage Act. The organization's scope covered strategic litigation referencing precedents like Lawrence v. Texas and United States v. Windsor, legislative campaigns in capitals such as Boston, Massachusetts and Sacramento, California, and cultural outreach involving media outlets like The New York Times, CNN, and NPR. It worked with allied institutions including Pew Research Center, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and local groups such as Queer Nation and Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders.

Freedom to Marry emerged in the aftermath of cases such as Baehr v. Miike and amid state actions like Vermont Civil Union legislation and the passage of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health. In the 2000s it navigated political contexts shaped by figures including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeb Bush, and Mitt Romney while engaging voters in battleground states such as Iowa, New York (state), Washington (state), and New Jersey. The organization adapted strategies after federal events like the enactment and later judicial challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act culminating in United States v. Windsor and eventually interacted with the litigation trajectory leading toward Obergefell v. Hodges. It shifted tactics through election cycles involving the 2004 United States presidential election, 2008 United States presidential election, and 2012 United States presidential election.

Freedom to Marry engaged in debates over constitutional interpretation referencing the Fourteenth Amendment and cases such as Loving v. Virginia and Romer v. Evans. It confronted state ballot measures like Proposition 8 and challenged statutory definitions influenced by congressional acts such as the Defense of Marriage Act. The group collaborated with litigators from WilmerHale, advocates from Lambda Legal and scholars at institutions like Harvard Law School and Yale Law School to frame arguments concerning equal protection and due process. Policy debates involved elected officials including Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and state legislators such as members of the California State Assembly and the New York State Senate.

Though focused on the United States, Freedom to Marry operated within a global context where jurisdictions such as Netherlands, Canada, South Africa, Belgium, Spain, South Korea and Germany were advancing or debating same-sex marriage recognition. International human rights bodies like the European Court of Human Rights and organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch influenced comparative law dialogues. The campaign’s milestones paralleled decisions in countries like United Kingdom, Australia, and Argentina, and were discussed at forums involving the United Nations Human Rights Council and transnational networks such as Stonewall (charity) and ILGA.

Freedom to Marry’s advocacy contributed to shifts in public opinion documented by institutions such as Pew Research Center, Gallup Polls, and academic centers at Columbia University and Princeton University. Cultural representation in works by artists like Ellen DeGeneres, writers such as Toni Morrison (contextual public debate), and filmmakers associated with festivals like Sundance Film Festival intersected with the movement’s messaging. The campaign influenced corporate policies at companies such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Starbucks and engaged faith and civic leaders from institutions including United Church of Christ, Unitarian Universalist Association, and advocacy groups like Faith in America.

Freedom to Marry ran targeted campaigns including state ballot work in Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Minnesota and collaborated with national partners like Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Family Equality Council, and PFLAG. Its leadership network included figures such as Evan Wolfson and allied supporters like Barney Frank, Edith Windsor, Jim Obergefell (plaintiff in related litigation), and campaign funders including foundations like Gill Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Arcus Foundation. The organization coordinated with grassroots groups such as ACT UP, Gay-Straight Alliance Network, and local advocacy centers in cities including San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon.

Category:LGBT rights organizations in the United States