Freedom to Marry Honors Mildred Loving Upon Her Passing
Freedom to Marry mourns the loss of Mildred Loving, a plaintiff along with her husband, in the historic 1967 case Loving v. Virginia which ended race discrimination in marriage in the United States. By simply getting married, Mrs. Loving became a civil rights leader and helped end restrictions on the freedom to marry in the historic court case bearing her name, and went on to speak out for that same freedom to marry for all loving couples, gay and non-gay. Just last year, upon the 40th anniversary of the Loving decision, Mildred Loving made a statement in support of the ongoing struggle for the freedom to marry.
- Read Evan Wolfson's full statement honoring Mildred Loving.
- Read Mrs. Loving's full statement on the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia.
Quote of the Week
"Not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the 'wrong kind of person' for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry"
—Mildred Loving on the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia
Loving equality
Wolfson and civil rights attorney Bernard S. Cohen, who argued the Loving's case, write together about Loving v. Virginia as a milestone in racial equality, an important vindication of marriage as a cherished civil right, and a testament to the importance of fighting for equality, rather than sitting by silently, indifferently, or complacently in the face of cruel exclusion.
June 12, 2007 marked the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia on June 12, 1967 which struck down the remaining interracial marriage bans in 16 states in the United States, ending race discrimination in marriage. Learn more about Loving.
Gov. Schwarzenegger said, "I will always be there to fight against that," when asked if he would oppose the attempt in California to write marriage discrimination into the constitution.
Jon B. Eisenberg writes for The Recorder, "For the courts to decide such constitutional questions is not judicial activism — it is their job. And the time is now in the Marriage Cases — not 10 years from now, not a hundred years from now — because now is the time when the question has been properly put to the California Supreme Court." Read the text of his excellent op-ed piece here.
The Voices of Equality Program is a national high profile strategic speakers bureau and media ambassadors program that seeks to advance messages of marriage equality through prominent civic leaders to targeted populations. The Voices of Equality Program will consist of a 3-person staff team that will include program management, talent booking, and media advocacy functions.
