Freedom To Marry

Hardball with Chris Matthews on MSNBC
Posted on May 11, 2012

Evan Wolfson discusses the potential impact of President Barack Obama’s embrace of the freedom to marry and looks forward to what lies ahead for proponents of marriage between same-sex couples. Evan says: “Ted is exactly right: The constitution affords every American the freedom to marry, and that’s the same freedom gay people are invoking. But the president is right, that the way we get through is through a patchwork of struggles. Some states get there faster, other states fight it, they debate, and it takes the court to encourage it.

News Nation with Tamron Hall
Posted on May 10, 2012

Evan Wolfson responds to Republican representatives’ motions to strengthen the so-called Defense of Marriage Act after President Obama announced his support for the freedom to marry. Wolfson also discusses GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s stance on marriage for same-sex couples and talks about why it matters that Obama has announced that he embraces the freedom to marry.

PBS News Hour
Posted on May 09, 2012

Evan Wolfson discusses the legal future of the freedom to marry in the wake of President Barack Obama’s announcement that he has completed his “evolution” on the question of whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

New York 1
Posted on May 08, 2012

Evan Wolfson appears on NY1 to explain that President Obama’s support for the freedom to marry is in line with the majority of Americans who support marriage for all couples. He even explains that the new stance from Obama may also bump turnout among left-leaning voters. “Even people who may not fully agree on the freedom to marry will respect the president for saying what he believes and being true to his convictions and then turning to the bigger, broader questions that most people are really going to make their decision for president on,” Wolfson said.

MSNBC
Posted on May 07, 2012

Evan Wolfson responds to North Carolina’s approval of the discriminatory, anti-gay Amendment 1, which constitutionally bans same-sex couples from entering into marriages. Evan also looks at President Barack Obama’s reaction to the North Carolina passage and addresses Vice President Joe Biden’s remarks that he approves of marriage for same-sex couples.

Posted on Dec 01, 2010

David Hawk talks and interviews EVAN WOLFSON on Irish Radio.

edgewashington.com
Posted on Sep 23, 2010

EDGE spoke to Evan Wolfson about recent poll results, what they mean, what they portend, and what we (and our politicians) should all be doing about it.

The Advocate
Posted on Jul 07, 2010

Interview by Julie Bolcer of The Advocate asking Evan Wolfson about Governor Lingle’s veto of civil unions legislation in Hawaii.

WBAI
Posted on Jun 03, 2010

June 12th marks the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the landmark Supreme Court decision that advanced racial equality and the freedom to marry in America. Evan Wolfson discusses this landmark case and the celebration to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Loving decision spearheaded by a coalition of organizations including Freedom to Marry.

bilerico.com
Posted on Feb 10, 2010

Watch video of Evan Wolfson being interviewed by Bil Browning of The Bilerico Project about why marriage recognition is important and the backlash caused for states like Indiana when other states achieve marriage equality.

365gay.com
Posted on Jan 28, 2010

Summary and transcript of a live interview with Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry and Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign about the Prop 8 trial and what’s next for gay marriage.  Over 200 online visitors dropped by to ask about the possible outcome of a Supreme Court case, or asked what will happen to those video tapes of the Prop 8 trial that were recorded.  Others told personal stories or outlined their involvement in gay activism.

edgeboston.com
Posted on Jan 25, 2010

An EdgeBoston phone interview with Evan Wolfson on 2009’s victories and defeats. 

staythirstymedia.com
Posted on Jan 04, 2010

Chris Beakey of Stay Thirsty interviews Evan Wolfson, David Toussaint and Jeff McElhaney in this interview titled “Gay in 2010: Three things that matter most.”

bobonaroll.blogspot.com
Posted on Nov 14, 2009

BobOnARoll talks to Evan Wolfson: “We had one of our every 3-4 month breakfasts last Thursday and had a good update on the Maine vote, what’s happening in NY, and the lawsuit working its way through the federal courts.

klcc.org
Posted on Nov 04, 2009

KLCC’s Jes Burns sits down with Evan Wolfson and Basic Rights Oregon’s Jeana Frazzini to talk about the current state of the marriage equality movement - and a new campaign launched this week in Oregon. 

KLCC Eugene Oregon NPR
Posted on Nov 04, 2009

KLCC’s Jes Burns sat down this afternoon with “Freedom to Marry” president Evan Wolfson and Basic Rights Oregon’s Jeana Frazzini to talk about the current state of the marriage equality movement - and a new campaign launched this week in Oregon.

KLCC Eugene Oregon NPR
Posted on Nov 03, 2009

KLCC’s Jes Burns sat down this afternoon with “Freedom to Marry” president Evan Wolfson and Basic Rights Oregon’s Jeana Frazzini to talk about the current state of the marriage equality movement - and a new campaign launched this week in Oregon.

youtube.com
Posted on Sep 11, 2009

Watch Evan Wolfson in a thought-provoking conversation with NBC News senior newswriter Barbara Raab.

michellehaimoff's Podcast
Posted on Feb 09, 2009

Evan Wolfson speaks with Michelle Haimoff about the problem with the term “gay marriage,” the legal battles ahead for gay Americans, and the most effective thing the gay community can do to achieve equality.

95bFM: Auckland, NZ
Posted on Nov 23, 2008

Evan Wolfson, Founder and President of Freedom To Marry, guests on The Monday Wire with Joe Nunweek’s independent news and interview program. He talks to Joe about the path to Proposition 8’s passage, and how it will be fought.

95bFM: Auckland, NZ
Posted on Nov 23, 2008

http://www.freedomtomarry.org/mp3/evanwolfson2_95bfm.mp3

The Michelangelo Signorile Show
Posted on Oct 05, 2008

Evan Wolfson joined Michelangelo Signorile on November 6, 2008 to discuss Prop 8 in California, why it’s important to engage our friends and family, and where we go from here.

Shankblog
Posted on Sep 06, 2008

Q. What is one thing you think every American should know?
A. How fragile values we treasure as Americans are — personal freedom, the separation of church and state that assures religious as well as personal freedom, constitutional checks and balances. These things can be lost, and it is reckless to play with fire near them, as some in our country do.

Shoot the Messenger
Posted on Feb 10, 2008

Evan Wolfson breaks it down for the good folks at Shoot The Messenger. Shoot The Messenger is a satirical wrap-up of the week’s news from the brain of Daily Show Co-creator Lizz Winstead. A live sketch-comedy show incorporating multi-media elements, it gives us the world as seen through the filters of the fictional producers and on-air talent at Wake-up World - America’s first and only 6 hour Morning Show which is coincidentaly on 24/7 America’s first and only infonewsment network.

A Closer Look
Posted on Oct 06, 2007

On part two of Evan Wolfson’s conversation on A Closer Look with Minister Gerald Palmer, callers continue to express religious opposition to gay people and marriage equality. Minister Palmer reminds the listeners that religious teaching benefits, and is not harmed, by honest discussion about tough issues. Wolfson explains that many religious leaders are voices of equality for the freedom to marry.

A Closer Look
Posted on Oct 06, 2007

Evan Wolfson explains on A Closer Look with Minister Gerald Palmer that civil marriage is a legal institution, and the government has a legal obligation not to exclude or discriminate against one group of Americans. Listeners called in to express confusion about the difference between religious ceremonies and legal marriage licenses. Wolfson reminds listeners that it’s very important as Americans that people respect other people’s religions, and nobody is trying to force religions to do anything they don’t want to do. Conversely, our government should not impose any one religious view on the rest of us, and religion should never be used as an excuse to deny American citizens equal rights.Fair-minded people do not want the government discriminating against other citizens, or imposing one religion’s rules on everyone else.

Men's News Daily
Posted on Sep 29, 2007

David Shankbone sits down with Evan Wolfson to discuss some of the recent decisions affecting the freedom to marry, gender in marriage, and reactions in the gay community to his fight for their rights. When asked “Why marriage?”, Wolfson responds, “Marriage is a vocabulary, it’s a vehicle, an engine for a larger discussion that moves people’s understanding of who gay people are, why sex discrimination is wrong, why exclusion is wrong in America, that brings up discussion the separation of church and state, that brings up discussion of whether there should be limitations or roles based on sex, or whether men and women should be treated equally. Whether two women should be considered whole when they form a committed and loving relationship, as opposed to saying they are unwhole and unequal because they don’t have a man in their life.”

Huffington Post
Posted on Aug 16, 2007

David Mixner interviews Evan Wolfson on how to answer questions regarding why candidates should stand for, and be pressed on, the freedom to marry. Says Wolfson, “This election will not be decided on gays or marriage (and nor was the election of 2004). But how candidates deal with important questions such as equality, protections for all, standing up to discrimination, and the values of marriage (love, commitment, fairness, freedom) can be symptomatic of how they address dispositive questions and win over or alienate voters… They all have a chance to get this right—and we all have the chance now to help them.”

John Selig Outspoken
Posted on Jul 30, 2007

Evan Wolfson joined John Selig on OutSpoken Tuesday, July 31, 2007. He discussed what drives him in the fight for marriage equality, how it felt to be named one of Time’s 100 most influential people, why the word “marriage matters,” and how exclusion from the freedom to marry unfairly punishes committed same-sex couples and their families by depriving them of critical assistance, security, and obligations in virtually every area of life from the birth of children to death. (1hr 2min)

CNN
Posted on Jun 25, 2007

CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer looks to Evan Wolfson to give John and Elizabeth Edwards’ disagreement on giving gay and lesbian couples the legal protections and responsibilities of marriage some context — and included footage of the couple’s couch chat with Leno. Thanks in part to Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, national attention on where the presidential candidates stand on marriage isn’t going away anytime soon.

Wisconsin Public Radio
Posted on Apr 10, 2007

Evan Wolfson joins Peter Donalds to discuss ongoing state cases involving marriage equality, and how the issue is playing out in the 2008 presidential campaign.

CNN
Posted on Mar 13, 2007

Evan Wolfson responds to Senator Clinton’s statement on the morality of same-sex relations, that she would “leave that to others to conclude,” following General Pace’s discriminatory statement on the issue. Mr. Wolfson expresses hope that Senator Clinton would make her stance clear.

The New York Times
Posted on Feb 15, 2007

“One state down, 49 to go,” Mr. Wolfson says of Freedom to Marry’s success rate. “Gay marriage is not what we’re looking for. We’re looking for the legal right for gays to marry. You don’t ask for half a loaf. We don’t need two lines at the clerk’s office when theres already an institution that works in this country, and it’s called marriage. One of the main protections that come with marriage is inherent in the word: certainly in times of crisis any other word than marriage would not bring the same clarity or impart the same dignity.”

MSNBC
Posted on Feb 07, 2007

Evan Wolfson debates Charmaine Yoest MSNBC News Live regarding the merits of Washington State’s Initiative 957 which would require couples who have not procreated after 3 years of marriage to lose their license. The initiative is a clear attempt to challenge the Washington State Supreme Court’s mandate that same sex couples exclusion from marriage is warranted by the need for non-gay couples to and their kids to have their reproduction privileged by the state. What about gay couples and their kids? No protections for them? Evan Wolfson lays bare the

Seattle Gay News
Posted on Aug 17, 2006

We are not asking for too much. We are asking for what we deserve and the more we make the case the more people are coming to understand that. The set backs are a predictable and inescapable feature of struggle. ... It’s just unrealistic to think that we can ask America to change the way it has imposed second class citizenship on Gay people and their loved ones without having defeat as well as victories. Unfortunately, we have to live through both but — if we battle through both — we will bring ourselves to a full triumph.

NPR
Posted on Jun 09, 2006

States Take Variety of Stances on Marriage Equality — NPR’s Weekend Edition on Saturday, June 10, 2006 features commentary by Freedom to Marry’s Evan Wolfson.

YouTube
Posted on May 31, 2006

Evan Wolfson interview clip from Richard French Live.

Mother Jones
Posted on Oct 09, 2005

Beckel interviews Evan Wolfson who has been in “the trenches of gay rights advocacy, leading the charge to end the exclusion of gay couples from marriage” for over 20 years. They discuss his book, Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People’s Right to Marry and the continuing momentum of the marriage equality movement.

580 AM-WILL
Posted on Oct 06, 2005

Wolfson joins Focus 580 AM Radio in Champaign-Urbana, IL to discuss the importance of marriage equality. He takes questions from various callers in Illinois, both supporters and opponents of equality, as well as those undecided about where they stand in the marriage conversation.

Wisconsin Public Radio
Posted on Sep 18, 2005

Evan Wolfson discusses the arguments on why moving toward fairness and equality is important and helps families, hurts no one. He explains that same-sex couples just want the same basic legal rights, enjoyed by non-gay married couples, but denied to gays and lesbians by the limited definiton of marriage. Glenn Stanton follows with his arguments against ending discrimination. Both answer key questions the people have in regards to the marriage debate. Wolfson and Stanton will be in Madison (Wed., 9/21) to participate in a public debate on marriage equality at the Wisconsin Union Theater.

Quest
Posted on Sep 14, 2005

Quest interviews Evan Wolfson, discussing why marriage matters and the fight for marriage equality — its beginning, history, recent triumphs, and the future challenges/obtacles ahead. Wolfson talks about what we must do now in order to move forward and follow the lead of recent countries (Spain, Canada) who have joined Belgium and the Netherlands in legalizing marriage. He also talks about the shift in public opinion and how time is on the side of fairness and equality.

BuzzFlash
Posted on Aug 14, 2005

BuzzFlash interviews Evan Wolfson, author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People’s Right to Marry and head of Freedom to Marry. A review in the Oregonian said it best: “Armed with Wolfson’s arguments, you could sell anyone with an IQ over room temperature on the wisdom and humanity of marriage equality.”

KKIQ
Posted on Jun 29, 2005

Evan Wolfson discusses his book, Why Marriage Matters on KKIQ radio and why it is such an important resource in understanding the freedom to marry, and discussing this issue with you family and friends.

Air America
Posted on Jun 29, 2005

Al Franken interviews Evan Wolfson, author of Why Marriage Matters and the importance of ending the discrimination of same-sex couples from marriage.

WashingtonPost.com
Posted on Jun 13, 2004

Read the transcript of the online chat with Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, and author of the new book, Why Marriage Matters.

MetroWeekly
Posted on May 19, 2004

Ultimately, marriage is “part of standing up for a vision of human rights that says… everyone has a right to be both equal and different, and no one has to give up her or his difference in order to be treated equally.”

WashingtonPost.com
Posted on Feb 04, 2004

n the wake of the Massachusetts high court’s follow-up opinion on marriage equality, Wolfson answers questions about civil rights history, judicial independence, opinon polls, fairness, and much more…