I am proud to be an American today. #LoveWins#MarriageEquaility
— Larry King (@kingsthings) June 26, 2015
Friday morning, the Supreme Court struck down laws banning same-sex marriage, stating that they violate the 14th amendment, allowing everyone regardless of sexual orientation to get married under the law in the U.S. The full decision from the court is here -- and it's a pretty good read.
At Larry King Now, we've heard from newsmakers on both sides of the marriage equality debate in numerous episodes. In light of today's decision, we wanted to share some of our favorite moments leading up to the decision.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama joined us last year and voiced his view that marriage equality should be up to individual countries, and his personal belief that any bullying or abuse of someone because of who they are is a violation of human rights.
Singer and gay rights activist Melissa Etheridge in October 2014 told Larry King that the decisions paving the way for marriage equality were moving faster. "If 20 years ago you'd have said 'now do you think you're going to be married and have kids and be talking about it on daytime TV ... I think it's us as America, we grew up."
California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who presided over the first legal same-sex marriages in the state when he was mayor of San Francisco in 2004, told Larry King in 2013 that he is surprised how quickly the issue has moved forward: "I never thought I'd hear in my lifetime when President Obama said he supported it. It's extraordinary to see that progress."
While the court decision stands, the country is still divided on the issue. Larry Ross maintains that Billy Graham has stepped out of the public discussion, but would take the Biblical view of God's plan for marriage:
Donald Rumsfeld weighed in with Larry King in 2013, discussing his support of eliminating Don't Ask Don't Tell in the military and voicing uncertainty around what the court would decide on same-sex marriage.
But more than anywhere else, perhaps the public opinion about marriage equality has played out in our living rooms. With more and more gay and lesbian characters on TV, there are more role models and lives reflected. Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who plays Mitchell on Modern Family, talked to Larry King about his (then still upcoming) on-screen marriage to Cameron, played by Eric Stonestreet.
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