Marriage equality

Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is marriage between people of the same sex, either as a secular civil ceremony or in a religious setting. The term marriage equality refers to a political status in which same-sex marriage and opposite-sex marriage are considered legally equal. In the late 20th century, rites of marriage for same-sex couples without legal recognition became increasingly common. The first law providing for marriage of people of the same sex in modern times was enacted in 2000 in the Netherlands and came into force in 2001. As of 20 December 2017, same-sex marriage is legally recognized (nationwide or in some parts) in the following countries:

Freedom to Marry was the national bipartisan organization dedicated to winning marriage for same-sex couples in the United States. Freedom to Marry was founded in New York City in 2003 by Evan Wolfson, whom many consider to be the architect of the modern marriage movement. Wolfson served as president of the organization through the June 2015 victory at the Supreme Court, until the organization’s official closing in February 2016. Freedom to Marry drove the national strategy - what Freedom to Marry called the “Roadmap to Victory” - that led to the nationwide victory. The strategy aimed at a Supreme Court win bringing the country to national resolution, once advocates had succeeded in creating the climate for the court by working on three tracks: winning marriage in a critical mass of states, growing national majority support for marriage, and ending marriage discrimination by the federal government.

Pursuit of Equality is a 2005 documentary film directed by Geoff Callan and Mike Shaw, about the struggle of same-sex couples for marriage equality in the United States. Its focus is mostly on the same-sex marriages performed in San Francisco from February 12 to March 11, 2004. A major fundraising event for Equality California was also inspired by, and named after, the film. Director Geoff Callan, along with San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom and philanthropists Christopher Bently and Wilkes Bashford, hosted a wedding celebration titled The Pursuit of Equality in order to increase public awareness of this issue before the November 4th vote on California Proposition 8.