The “Love Equally” display installed in Everett City Hall.
Photo courtesy City of Everett
EVERETT — An exhibit commemorating the passage of marriage equality legislation in Washington will be displayed in the Everett Municipal Building in downtown Everett until September. The Municipal Building is located at 2930 Wetmore Ave. in downtown Everett. The exhibition is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday to the public.
“Love, Equally: The Journey to Marriage Equality” was created by Legacy Washington, a program within the Washington State Archives and Office of the Secretary of State, to recognize the people, history, and stories who stood at the forefront of LGBTQ civil rights in Washington. It includes oral histories, photographs and more.
The exhibit was originally displayed in the state Capitol Building in the Office of the Secretary of State.
“The City of Everett is honored to host Love, Equally - a moving tribute to resilience and love. This exhibit tells the story of people who refused to be silent, who stood up and spoke out, and who helped bend the arc of our history a little closer to justice,” said Mayor Cassie Franklin in a press release. “We stand firmly in our belief that everyone deserves to live openly, safely and without fear — regardless of who they are or whom they love.”
Some history
As recently as 2006, state law did not prohibit job discrimination against gays and lesbians, and the state Supreme Court banned same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage equality appeared on the state ballot in November 2012.
Instead of arguing about discrimination and privacy, advocates stressed that gay couples wanted the same white-picket fences, homey routines, and devoted commitments as heterosexuals. Using “family values” rhetoric, advocates condensed their universal message into a single word: Love.
“The success of the marriage equality movement stunned even its advocates at the time,” state Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said in a press release. “The transformation from ‘outlaws to in-laws’ was one of the swiftest turnarounds in U.S. civil rights history.”
Washington’s initiative marked the first time marriage equality was approved by voters, rather than judges or politicians. Three years later, the U.S. Supreme Court followed suit.
