OC Celebrates Marriage Equality with Rally

Massive rallies will be held From Santa Ana to West Hollywood and other Southland cities tonight to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, as groups that have fought for years to enable gay and lesbian couples to wed finally raise their arms in victory.

At 7 p.m., a rally in support of the Supreme Court ruling on same- sex marriage will be held in Santa Ana by the LGBT Center OC.

Two of Orange County’s Democratic congressional representatives hailed the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling today in favor of same- sex marriage.

Reps. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, and Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, hailed the ruling.

“The Supreme Court ruling today, guaranteeing an individual’s right to marry who they love, regardless of sex, is an important step forward for our country and a victory for American families,” said Sanchez, who is running for U.S. Senate.

“Families wish their children a lifetime of love and happiness, and the government can no longer stand in their way by depriving citizens of the right to marry the loves of their lives,” Sanchez said. “I joyfully welcome this affirmation that is long overdue. Equality, fairness, and most importantly, love won out today.”

Lowenthal applauded the “historic” ruling.

“This is a historic day in our national journey toward ending discrimination and extending the freedom for all Americans to live, love and prosper,” Lowenthal said. “In their decision, the Supreme Court has upheld our nation’s fundamental values of equality, fairness and diversity. Most importantly, the court has made clear that not only is marriage a ‘fundamental right’ that must be extended to LGBT people, but to deny it would be a violation of equal protection.”

Messages sent to Republican congressional representatives for comment were not immediately returned.

“To be honest, for much of my life I never thought I’d ever live to see this day. But here we are,” said Lorri Jean of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. “For the first time, we have been acknowledged by the nation’s highest court as deserving the rights and privileges of full citizenship, or to paraphrase one of our great founding documents, that we too possess certain unalienable rights, that we too have full claim on the Jeffersonian promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK IN THE COMMENTS: Will you always remember where you were this historic day? How will you describe it to future generations?

City News Service