Vice President Joe Biden to celebrate Supreme Court victory with Freedom to Marry

Tomorrow, Thursday, July 9, Freedom to Marry will host a special event celebrating the monumental and historic United States Supreme Court ruling last month that brought the freedom to marry to the entire nation. We are proud to welcome Vice President Joe Biden as a special guest at the event. The Vice President will deliver remarks at the event on the decades of work so many have devoted to winning the freedom to marry nationwide. 

On the day that the decision was announced by the United States Supreme Court, Vice Presiden Biden expressed his pride in the ruling:

Today, the Supreme Court affirmed that simple proposition—supported by a majority of Americans and a majority of our states—by recognizing that men marrying men and women marrying women are guaranteed the same civil rights and equal protection under our Constitution afforded to Jill and me, and to anyone else.

We couldn’t be prouder. Over the years—in their homes, on our staff, on the frontlines of war, and in houses of worship—Jill and I have befriended countless gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans who share a love for their partners constrained only by social stigma and discriminatory laws. But today, their love is set free with the right to marry and the recognition of that marriage throughout the country.

This day is for them, their children, and their families. And it is for generations of advocates—gay, lesbian, transgender, straight—who for decades fought a lonely and dangerous battle. People of absolute courage who risked their lives, jobs, and reputations to come forward in pursuit of the basic right recognized today, but at a time when neither the country nor the courts would protect or defend them.

And this day is for history to remember as one where, as a nation, our laws finally recognize that all people should be treated with respect and dignity—and that all marriages, at their root, are defined by unconditional love.

Vice President Joe Biden has long been a supporter of the freedom to marry and LGBT rights. As early as 2003, he said that he thought that the freedom to marry was "inevitable," and in 2007, he reaffirmed his support for protecting same-sex couples, saying "government does have an obligation to guarantee that every individual is free of discrimination."

In 2009, during a Vice Presidential debate, Vice President Biden again supported equal rights for gay and lesbian couples. "Absolutely no distinction from a constitutional or legal standpoint between a same-sex and a heterosexual couple," he said. "...Same-sex couples should be able to have visitation rights in the hospitals, joint ownership of property, life insurance policies, etc."

In 2012, during a Meet the Press interview, Vice President Biden became the highest ranking public official in office to speak in favor of the freedom to marry, just a few days before President Obama announced his strong support.

Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, applauded Biden on this announcement, saying "The personal and thoughtful way he has spoken about his coming to support the freedom to marry reflects the same journey that a majority of Americans have now made as they’ve gotten to know gay families, opened their hearts and changed their minds."

Now, after the United States Supreme Court has, finally, ruled in favor of the freedom to marry for all loving, committed couples nationwide, Vice President Biden is celebrating with all of us!

Freedom to Marry applauds Vice President Biden for his continuous and solid support for marriage for same-sex couples, and looks forward to enjoying this victory with him tomorrow.