Throughout Pride Month, a particular day is especially meaningful for the LGBTQ community — June 26. On this day, seven years ago, an important milestone was achieved in the community’s ongoing battle for equal rights, equal opportunity, and fair representation.
As a partner with GLAAD and a proud ally of the LGBTQ community, we are taking a deep dive into the historical significance behind this day and the impact it has had on the LGBTQ community. We’ll also share how you can be an advocate and support GLAAD and their mission to accelerate acceptance for the LGBTQ community.
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The Fight for Marriage Equality
To say the fight for LGBTQ rights has been difficult would be quite an understatement. From the repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” to the landmark Supreme Court decision in 2015 that enacted marriage equality throughout the country, it has been a long and challenging journey that still continues today.
The effort to legalize same-sex marriage in the U.S. began to take off in the 1990s, bringing many challenges from the states and the federal government. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) signed into law in 1996 defined marriage at the federal level as between a man and a woman. This meant that while some states may have passed their own laws legalizing same-sex marriage, a marriage in one state would not necessarily be recognized in other states or by the federal government.
Beginning with Massachusetts in 2004, states started to slowly sign marriage equality into law one by one. Same-sex couples challenged DOMA and other marriage bans in court, leading to the Supreme Court ruling United States v. Windsor that declared DOMA unconstitutional. However, it wasn’t until Obergefell v. Hodges that marriage equality became the law of the land throughout all 50 states. This brings us to the crucial date we discussed earlier.
The Anniversary of Marriage Equality
On June 26, 2015, in a 5 to 4 ruling, the Supreme Court determined that the Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. This decision held that the 14th Amendment requires a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex and to recognize marriages lawfully licensed and performed in other jurisdictions.
In 2022, we look back on the results of this case as a significant step forward for equality and celebrate this day with the LGBTQ community. While there is still more work to cultivate greater acceptance and representation, this day is undoubtedly a milestone towards creating a world where everyone can live the life they love.
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GLAAD
The fight for marriage equality was championed by countless people and organizations. One of the organizations that played a pivotal role in the establishment of marriage equality was GLAAD. The non-profit works through entertainment, news, and digital media to share stories from the LGBTQ community that help accelerate acceptance and are a positive representation.
Visibility is one of the most important ways to generate change. Helping people realize that they may have friends, family members or other loved ones in the LGBTQ community is a critical step in the push towards acceptance and the fight against discrimination. Although marriage equality is a major landmark in the LGBTQ movement, the work is not over, and GLAAD continues to fight for the rights and advancement of LGBTQ people throughout the country.
GLAAD hosts the Annual GLAAD Media Awards every year in Los Angeles and New York to honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. Their ongoing efforts ensure that no member of the LGBTQ community feels left behind or forgotten in the fight for human rights.
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Show Your Support Through #DoorToChange
Porte believes in the mission of GLAAD and other organizations working on behalf of the LGBTQ community, which is why we are proud supporters of the organization. And great news — you can join us! When you open an account with Porte1, you can be an advocate for marriage equality and help further the mission of GLAAD through our #DoorToChange.2
Through our #DoortoChange charitable giving program, your everyday purchases add up to donations to the charity you select in the app.3 All you have to do is follow these steps to get started:
- Open your Porte app and choose “Charity” on the dashboard.
- Select GLAAD or any of the other charities.
- Keep spending as usual. Donations are made based on how much you spend, and it doesn’t cost you anything extra.
We hope that our partnership with GLAAD can help pave the way for more landmark wins for the LGBTQ community in the fight for human rights. With #DoorToChange, you can do your part to support GLAAD and be an advocate for full equality for all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Open a Porte account1 and make an impact through our #DoorToChange!2
