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Dear John,
History was made 20 years ago today when Massachusetts became the first state to let same-sex couples legally marry. It’s hard to believe it now, but this was seen by many at the time as an extreme and dangerous idea.
I remember the outrage well, because I had recently run for Governor of Massachusetts. I was the only candidate to call for marriage equality, and my “radical” position was one of the reasons I lost the primary.
Join me for a flashback to 2002, when taking a stand for what I knew was right helped sink my campaign.
My position might have been unpopular at the time, but through decades of activism, litigation, and legislation by brave people, the vast majority of Americans have come to see marriage equality as a basic human right.
But as we’ve seen recently, hard-fought rights can be stripped away. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas have suggested that the court should “reconsider” the decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationally.
We’re now facing a moment in history where rights as basic as the freedom to vote, freedom over our bodies, and freedom to love whom and how we choose are once again under assault.
Today is a good day to share this reflection on how far we’ve come in the past two decades.
Progress can be painfully slow, but it starts with taking a stand for what’s right, even if it comes at a personal cost. Change is possible, but we only get to keep it if we continually recommit to defending it.
Keep fighting.
Robert Reich
Inequality Media
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