Winning the Freedom to Marry Nationwide
On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the freedom to marry nationwide. This is the story of the movement that transformed a nation, and the campaign that led to victory: Freedom to Marry.
How it HappenedWhy it mattersLessons Learned
How do you change the deeply held beliefs of a nation? And what does it take to bring about real national progress?
Here, we've compiled key lessons and tangible takeaways from every corner of the decades-long campaign for the freedom to marry.
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Featured Resources
Dive deep into the strategy, story, and development of the vital programs and tactics Freedom to Marry used to drive a national movement to victory:
Winning in Court
Many people presume that judges issue rulings in court based simply on the facts at hand, without public opinion playing any role at all. However, history tells us that how judges…
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Winning Legislative Campaigns
For many years into our campaign, pundits (and even some movement colleagues) declared that a state legislature would never vote in favor of the freedom to marry – the politics…
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Winning at the Ballot
Through hard work and many ups and downs, we learned how to win marriage in the courts, in the legislatures, in the heartland as well as the coasts, and with Republicans as well as…
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The Roadmap to Victory
Freedom to Marry’s goal was to win marriage for same-sex couples nationwide, no more and no less. Freedom to Marry was created as the eyes-on-the-prize campaign to drive the…
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Messaging, Messengers and Public Support
Freedom to Marry led our movement in “cracking the code” on how to talk with Americans about marriage. Our approach led to decisive victories at the ballot in 2012, followed by…
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Using Digital to Build the Marriage Movement
Freedom to Marry’s use of digital played a critical role in the organization’s work and the implementation of its national strategy, the “Roadmap to Victory.” The digital…
Read MoreWinning in the States
The marriage movement secured state victories by every possible means – with legislative measures, litigation, and, critically, at the ballot. These resources below showcase how these various types of campaigns differ – and highlight best practices for other movements working to create national momentum through state work. Or, select a state below for detailed information on its specific journey to winning the freedom to marry.
