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From YouTube: VA Attorney General Mark Herring on US Supreme Court Decision Affirming Gay Marriage Rights
Description
Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring's press conference about the US Supreme Court decision affirming gay marriage rights. The event was held on Judiciary Plaza in Arlington County VA on June 26 2015. Also included are interviews with Clerk of the Circuit Court Paul Ferguson, Arlington County Board member Jay Fisette and his husband, author Bob Rosen.
B
A
A
We
were
inaugurated
last
year
and
also
my
wife
Laura's
with
me,
and
it
is
truly
a
historic
and
extraordinary
moment
in
our
nation's
recognition
that
Americans
cannot
and
will
not
be
denied
dignity,
rights
and
responsibilities,
including
those
of
marriage,
simply
because
of
whom
they
love.
Thousands
of
newly
married
Virginians
and
their
families
now
know
their
bonds
are
protected
by
the
highest
law
of
the
land.
Sending
a
powerful
message
about
what
a
loving
family
can
look
like
in
the
21st
century.
A
It
has
been
one
of
the
highest
honors
of
my
career
to
help
the
Commonwealth
lead
the
nation
on
this
fundamental
civil
rights
issue.
After
past
fights
on
issues
on
the
wrong
side
like
school,
desegregation,
interracial,
marriage
bans,
an
equal
opportunity
for
women,
I
really
think
what
we
did
in
Virginia
to
achieve.
Marriage
equality
helped
move
the
ball
forward,
both
culturally
and
legally.
A
We
said
that
the
due
process
and
equal
protection
clauses
of
the
Fourteenth
Amendment
to
the
United
States
Constitution
required
marriage
equality
and
that's
exactly
what
the
court
ruled.
The
court
also
agreed
with
the
argument
we
made
in
our
amicus
brief
that
the
right
in
question
was
not
a
right
to
same-sex
marriage.
Any
more
than
loving
versus
Virginia
was
about
a
right
to
interracial
marriage.
A
The
right
at
issue
was
marriage
and
that's
what
the
court
said
while
at
work
to
achieve
equality
and
a
level
playing
field
for
every
Virginian
is
not
done
yet,
and
I
look
forward
to
helping
to
protect
LGBT,
Virginians
and
others
from
other
forms
of
discrimination.
Today's
ruling
is
a
giant
step
in
the
right
direction.
As
judge
a
render
right,
Allen
wrote
in
her
decision
that
first
struck
down
Virginia's
marriage
ban.
A
We
have
arrived
upon
another
moment
in
history
when
we,
the
people
becomes
more
inclusive
and
our
freedom
more
perfect,
the
men
and
women
and
the
children
to
whose
voices
join
in
noble
harmony
with
the
plaintiffs
today
also
asked
for
fairness
and
fairness.
Only
this
so
far
as
it
is
in
the
courts,
power
they
and
others
shall
have.
She
was
exactly
right.
They
asked
for
fairness,
they
now
have
it
and
they
shall
have
it
forever
again.
A
This
is
just
a
fantastic
day
for
Virginia
and
for
our
nation's
never-ending
journey
towards
a
more
perfect
union
and
full
equality
for
all
of
our
people
on
a
day
like
today,
I
think
back
to
all
of
the
people
who
I
met
over
the
last
18
months,
and
this
fight
since
I
was
privileged
to
take
office
and
service,
Virginia's
attorney
general
I.
Think
of
couples
like
Carol,
shawl
and
Mary
Townley,
as
well
as
their
daughter
Emily,
who
were
plaintiffs
in
the
Virginia
marriage
equality
cases.
A
When
I
heard,
the
news
I
gave
him
a
call
earlier
today
they
are
so
happy.
They
are,
they
were
hoping
to
be
here
and
I
think
got
hung
up
in
traffic,
but
they
are
thrilled,
I,
think
about
them,
I
think
about
so
many
couples
like
them,
who
you
know
they
they
weren't
asking
for
special
treatment,
they're,
not
asking
for
special
privileges,
just
asking
to
be
treated
equally
and
fairly,
like
everybody
else,
and
now
they
know
that
they
will
be
all
across
the
country.
A
I
think
back
to
a
young,
a
young
man
who
told
me
that
he
was
too
young
to
have
voted
on
Virginia's
marriage
ban
back
in
two
thousand
six,
but
he
remembers
driving
to
the
polls
with
his
mother
and
how
it
made
him
feel
it
made
him
feel
like
he
wanted
to
hide
his
identity
from
his
community
from
his
friends
and
even
from
his
family.
I.
A
Remember
back
on
the
the
day,
I
made
the
announcement.
So
many
parents
told
me
on
the
day
that
I
announced
we
were
changing
Virginia's
position
in
the
marriage,
equality
cases
that
they
got
a
call
from
their
son
or
their
daughter
in
tears
because
of
what
it
meant
that
they
now
knew.
Their
attorney
general
was
standing
up
and
fighting
for
them.
Since
then,
and
since
marriage
equality
has
come
to
Virginia,
thousands
of
couples
have
been
married.
A
C
A
very
strong
decision
by
the
Supreme
Court
that
takes
away
the
ambiguity
that
same-sex
couples
faced,
although
they
were
allowed
to
marry
starting
octo
six
and
we've
had
a
number
of
couples
take
advantage
of
that
court
decision.
There
was
the
uncertainty
with
the
Supreme
Court
yet
to
weigh
in
now
that
they've
weighed
in
they
know
that
their
marriages
are
definitely
valid
in
perpetuity.
Oh,
my.
D
B
Do
I
feel
I
feel
an
incredible
sense
of
gratitude,
I'm
very
grateful
to
the
five
justices
who
had
the
vision
and
the
courage
to
stand
up
on
the
right
side
of
history.
I
am
incredibly
grateful
to
the
millions
and
millions
of
straight
people,
allies
and
friends
and
colleagues
who
supported
the
gay
and
lesbian
community
over
all
these
years.
Basically,
ninety-nine
point:
nine
percent
of
people
are
fundamentally
good
and
they
just
needed
to
be
given
an
opportunity
and
then
I'm
very
grateful
to
the
gay
community.
B
I
mean
the
gate
community
of
people
who
came
out
during
Thanksgiving
dinners
and
two
colleagues
over
coffee
at
work
who
really
made
this
happen
through
a
lot
of
courage
and
constructive
impatience
about
this
issue.
So
I
feel
a
lot
of
gratitude
today.
Ultimately,
Jay
always
reminded
me
for
years
that
to
be
gay
was
to
be
political,
but
ultimately
the
goal
is
for
it
to
be
a
non-issue
and.