Family and friends of longtime marriage equality advocate Marvin Burrows have announced that a Mardi Gras-themed celebration of life will be held Saturday, February 22 at 2 p.m. at the Walpert Center, 1101 Walpert Street in Hayward.
Mr. Burrows, 77, died December 14 at Kaiser Hospital in Hayward following complications from surgery.
Mr. Burrows was active in local and national marriage equality efforts and testified before a Senate committee in 2011 on the inequities stemming from the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key provision of that law last June.
Mr. Burrows married his longtime partner, William Swenor, in February 2004 during San Francisco's "Winter of Love." Sadly, the California Supreme Court later voided their marriage and Swenor died about a year later, in March 2005.
Mr. Burrows was also active in LGBT senior issues, and was one of the founders of Lavender Seniors of the East Bay.