Celebrating marriage equality in June
Posted on Jun. 12, 2023 / Subscribe 0
June is traditionally a popular month for weddings. It’s also a time to celebrate two milestones in marriage equality.
Loving Day (June 12)
This unofficial holiday honors the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia that laws prohibiting interracial marriage were unconstitutional.
Interracial couple Mildred and Richard Loving married in Washington in 1958. Shortly after they moved to Central Point, Virginia, the county sheriff entered their home in the middle of the night and charged the couple with violating several Virginia codes against miscegenation, or interracial marriage.
The Lovings pleaded guilty and were sentenced to either a year in prison or a 25-year banishment from the state. They chose to move back to Washington, where they had three children. While visiting Virginia in 1967, however, they were arrested.
On June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled that the purpose of miscegenation laws was rooted in racism and violated the Constitution. It took until 2000 for the final state, Alabama, to strike down its ban on interracial marriage.
Richard Loving died in 1975, and Mildred followed him in death in 2008.
Marriage Equality (June 26)
The U.S. Supreme Court case of Obergefell v. Hodges was the consolidation of six lower-court cases from Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Jim Obergefell and others sued for recognition of their same-sex marriages, which were legal in the states where they were married but illegal in other states. The denial of marriage impeded many legal rights and privileges, including adoptions, parental rights, issuing birth and death certificates recognizing same-sex spouses, and property transfer.
Recognizing marriage as a fundamental right, their 5-4 ruling on June 26, 2015, requires all 50 states and the District of Columbia to perform and recognize marriages of same-sex couples on the same terms as those of opposite-sex couples.
The Loving v. Virginia case was used as a precedent for Obergefell. Before her death, Mildred Loving said:
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the ‘wrong kind of person’ for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry.”
Opportunities for amplification and support
On June 12, many people take to their social channels to share photos and personal stories celebrating their interracial relationships and honoring their parents and others who had to fight for legal recognition of their marriages and families. Also, the June 26 marriage equality decision is a milestone of LGBTQ+ rights that’s recognized as part of Pride Month.
As PR professionals, here are some ideas for amplifying these celebrations:
- Particularly if your business supports the wedding industry in any way—through travel, fashion, food, and more—consider a statement of support of marriage equality for interracial and same-sex couples.
- Encourage employees to share their own stories internally and externally and consider ways to promote those posts.
- Tie your honoring of these landmark decisions to your organization’s overall commitment to social justice on behalf of your customers and employees.
- Support interracial and same-sex relationships throughout the year through diverse storytelling, imagery, and consumer outreach.
Most of all, do not forget to celebrate the joy that comes from loving the person you choose! As Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion for Obergefell:
“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.”
Lisa Peers is a creative director at Jack Morton and is PRSA Detroit board member.
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