GOBradley, Raymond, and historic Kamala and GavinGO!Kamala Harris marks 20 years since first officiating same-sex marriages and reunites with gay couple she wed
On Valentine’s Day weekend in 2004, the vice president first performed same-sex marriages as San Francisco district attorney. The Advocate spoke exclusively to a gay couple she married.
Twenty years have passed since Vice President Kamala Harris, then serving as the district attorney of San Francisco, took a bold step in officiating some of the nation’s first same-sex marriages. That historic act defied legal restrictions and marked a pivotal moment in the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights.
In a heartwarming video call earlier this week, to which The Advocate was granted access, Harris reconnected with Bradley Witherspoon and Raymond Cobane to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their marriage—a union she officiated, after Gavin Newsom, then San Francisco’s mayor, declared marriage equality in the city. Although the marriages were later nullified by court action, the march toward equal rights wasn’t over.
Kamala vs Gavin in 2028? Who would have predicted that in 2004? Gay Mayor Pete, too? Could be. AOC?
... Throughout her career, Harris has been an unwavering ally of the LGBTQ+ community, from creating one of the nation’s first LGBTQ+ hate crimes units as district attorney in San Francisco to refusing to defend Proposition 8 as California’s attorney general. Her efforts have contributed significantly to the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights, highlighted by her crucial role in reestablishing marriage equality in California....
More than 71 percent of Americans now support the right of same-sex couples to get married, according to a 2023 Gallup poll....
Thank you, intrepid leaders.