In the space of a few days same-sex couples achieved the legal right to marry in all 50 states, the Affordable Care Act was affirmed, San Francisco celebrated its 45th Pride with one of the largest parades ever, and more than a million people enjoyed a weekend full of activities. The newly constituted Pink Party was well attended with no major issues, proving that a few helpful changes, most notably earlier start and end times, can create a safe and festive street party.
City Hall was bathed in the colors of the rainbow flag thanks to a new LED light system, which was inaugurated the week prior for a huge party and light show to mark the 100th anniversary of the building. This provided a beautiful setting for the hundreds of mayors who were here for the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting, giving them a first hand look at Pride preparations and how our city operates.
Ambassadors representing many countries witnessed United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accept the Harvey Milk Award from Milk's gay nephew, Stuart Milk, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) during a moving ceremony in the City Hall Rotunda commemorating the 70th anniversary of the signing of the U.N. Charter in San Francisco. Ban has been a steadfast ally for global LGBT rights, and has been instrumental in the U.N. providing benefits to same-sex partners of employees, regardless of the hostility they may face in their countries of origin.
In fact, preparations for the June 26 U.N. luncheon forced Mayor Ed Lee and other officials to move the Supreme Court's marriage decision celebration to the steps outside City Hall, where Lee, with thanks to Gilbert Baker and Tom Taylor, hung a huge rainbow flag as a powerful backdrop.
The 5-4 Supreme Court decision recognizing that same-sex couples have a legal right to marry was authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who has written all three major gay rights decisions going back to 2003's Lawrence v. Texas, which overturned state sodomy laws. Kennedy will go down in history as a champion for equality. Kennedy rejected the idea proffered by Justice Antonin Scalia in his dissent, that the majority's opinion recognizing same-sex marriage was a "threat to American democracy."
"The issue before the court here is the legal question whether the Constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to marry," Kennedy wrote. "The Constitution grants them that right."
Marriage provides "equal dignity," Kennedy's opinion stated.
President Barack Obama hailed the ruling, saying it was "a victory for America."
As for the ACA, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 upholding subsidies to help poor and middle-class people buy health insurance. While California wasn't directly affected because it has the Covered California exchange, millions of Americans in areas without state-run exchanges now need not worry whether the ACA will survive. As President Barack Obama said shortly after the court's decision was announced, "After multiple challenges to this law before the Supreme Court, the Affordable Care Act is here to stay."
But just as Bay Area LGBTs and their allies were celebrating the marriage ruling, local leaders were quick to point out that the fight for equality is not over. There are other issues to focus on, like employment and housing discrimination. In many states, same-sex couples can get married today and fired tomorrow; many more states don't have laws protecting transgender people from losing their jobs if they transition.
Locally, housing remains a top priority, not just for LGBT people, but for anyone who is priced out of San Francisco. Mayor Ed Lee said that "building more housing �" that's the issue of our time" at last Sunday's Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club Pride Breakfast.
In his remarks at the breakfast, Supervisor Scott Wiener, who announced this week that he's running for state Senate next year, stated that while abortion is legal, and has been for 42 years, women's access to reproductive services remains under assault by conservatives. Sixty-one years after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision that ruled "separate but equal" education for blacks and whites is unconstitutional, "we're still fighting for children to have equal opportunity," Wiener said.
He also noted that the transgender community continues to face discrimination. And he pointed out that straight allies "who get it" are invaluable to public support for our issues.
In closing he said that the LGBT community is strong and will persevere.
"Our community is so resilient," Wiener said, "we never give up."
The LGBT community must now turn its attention to achieving equality in housing, seeking workplace protections, and combatting the bullying of LGBTQ youth. And while California leads the country in strong laws, we still have work to do here, too. Homophobia has reared its ugly head in the Mission district, where an LGBT mural has been vandalized three times and set afire �" all in the space of a couple weeks. A new education campaign around transgender issues is starting, and not a moment too soon, as voters may face an anti-trans bathroom initiative on the ballot next year. Marriage is but one right, and yes, it's a major achievement to have it affirmed by the Supreme Court, but it's not the end of our fight for equality wherever there is injustice.