1969-1970: Stonewall, and same-sex couples
|
| Stonewall New York City, June 1969 |
At the same time things are happening in the courtroom, things are happening in the culture at large.
Though not specifically related to the marriage movement at the time, the Stonewall Riots of June, 1969 have relevance to today’s move for the freedom to marry, being considered the start of the modern gay rights movement. Hence, June is now gay-pride month, but with parades instead of riots.
|
| McConnell (center) and Baker (right) apply for their marriage license |
Less than a year later, 1970, a gay couple, Jack Baker and Mike McConnell, apply for a marriage license in Minnesota. (Baker is now a corporate attorney in Minneapolis and ran for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2002.)
Their attempt is unsuccessful, so they file suit – and they keep trying.
Timeline key: progress (green),
no progress (red),
pending court cases (purple),
events that are neutral, not directly related, or with both positive and negative effects (black)
updated 17 Aug 2008