National Grand Marshal
Evan Wolfson Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, one of the lead legal and political
organizations in the marriage equality fight, will be the National Grand Marshal. Wolfson has been called “the godfather of gay marriage” by Newsweek and The Daily Beast, and, “the indispensable man in bringing marriage equality to America” by Andrew Sullivan. He is among those credited with the United States Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. In a 5 to 4 ruling, the Court determined that the Constitution guarantees every American the right to marry the person they love.
Kate Kendell, the executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights said, “It is not hyperbole to say that Evan Wolfson occupies the top slot when it comes to leaders responsible for winning marriage in the country. Evan’s many years’ commitment and dogged determination rallied both the LGBT community and non-gay allies to support our full dignity and equality. Long before others, Evan believed we could win this fight. I am honored that he is my colleague and friend.”
From 1989 until 2001, Wolfson worked full-time at Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund,
the nation’s preeminent advocacy group working on behalf of gay and lesbian individuals. As director of Lambda Legal’s Marriage Project, Wolfson created the National Freedom to Marry Coalition and began leading the ongoing national marriage equality movement for equal marriage protections. He was co-counsel in Hawaii’s landmark Baehr case for the freedom to marry, which launched the current global marriage equality movement. Wolfson also contributed his expertise to the team in Baker v. Vermont, the Vermont Supreme Court ruling that led to the creation of “civil union,” a new legal marital status for same-sex couples, and to the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders team in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, which on May 17, 2004 led to the freedom to marry in Massachusetts. Wolfson has also played a part in work to win the freedom to marry in other nations, including Canada, Argentina, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia.
“One of the 100 most influential people in the world” – Time Magazine
When asked about the impact Evan Wolfson has had on achieving marriage equality, civil rights activist, best-selling author and the 1996 Grand Marshal David Mixner said, “Evan Wolfson, without a doubt, is the modern day founder of the marriage equality movement. In good part, we have achieved our most recent victory in the Supreme Court because of his leadership and vision. He is a hero of mine.”
in America”.
In 2000, the National Law Journal honored Wolfson’s civil rights leadership by naming him one of the “100 most influential attorneys In 2004, Time magazine named him one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.” In 2012, Wolfson was awarded
the Barnard Medal of Distinction alongside President Barack Obama. “Thirty years ago Evan Wolfson set out to change history, and did. He understood that winning the freedom to marry for same sex
couples would drastically reduce prejudice and make the lives of millions of LGBT individuals and their families immeasurably better. He is a passionate advocate who saw an injustice that needed to be addressed, created a long term plan and built a movement to get it done. He is a true hero,” said Geoff Kors, member, Freedom to Marry Board of Directors.
On April 26, 2000, Wolfson became the first Lambda attorney to argue before the United States Supreme Court when he urged the
justices to reject the Boy Scouts of America’s appeal of a unanimous ruling from the New Jersey Supreme Court striking down their ban on gay members and leaders. Wolfson had represented Eagle Scout James Dale since he was expelled from the BSA in 1990. Following the 5-4 vote, Wolfson helped shape the extraordinary national response from non-gay and gay people and institutions against the BSA’s discrimination, challenging their harmful message to youth.
In other cases, Wolfson championed gay and lesbian military personnel fighting for the freedom to serve, gay parents wishing to adopt children and preserve their visitation rights, a Florida deputy sheriff fired for being gay, a person with AIDS seeking life-saving medical treatment refused to him by his insurer, a woman denied work as a Dallas police officer because of the state’s anti-gay “sodomy” laws, and NYC employees demanding equal health benefits and recognition for their partners.
Wolfson’s first book, Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People’s Right to Marry was originally published by Simon & Schuster in July 2004, and was re-released in paperback with a new foreword in June 2005.
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