Speeches
Evan Wolfson was the founder and president of Freedom to Marry. In his 32 years advocating for the freedom to marry, Evan has shared his thoughts through writings, speeches, and video, as well as in the many profiles that have been written about him. Below is a collection of pieces by and about Evan. Select a category using the dropdown menu to filter the type of content.
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Evan Wolfson: Hart Lecture - Georgetown Law
Evan Wolfson gave Georgetown Law School's Hart Lecture on September 28, 2016, titled: "The Freedom to Marry Win: Transformation and Triumph to Celebrate, Lessons to Adapt and Apply".
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Evan Wolfson: Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) Commencement Speech
"Even as recently as five years ago, let alone in the years in which you all were born, the idea that a gay activist campaigning for the freedom to marry would be chosen by a state school in Illinois as its commencement speaker would have seemed inconceivable to most people," Evan Wolfson said while speaking at Northeastern Illinois University in May 2016.
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Evan Wolfson: How We Won the Freedom to Marry and What Comes Next
Published by University of Minnesota on November 2, 2015 In conversation with Sasha Aslanian of Minnesota Public Radio, Evan Wolfson talked about how we won the freedom to marry and what comes next for the LGBT movement.
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Celebrating the National Victory
Published by Freedom to Marry on July 10, 2015 In a speech at Freedom to Marry's celebration, Evan Wolfson speaks about the in the importance of the national victory and the movement that achieved it.
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“Freedom to Marry’s Ladder of Clarity: Lessons from a Winning Campaign (That Is Not Yet Won)”
Published by Columbia Journal of Gender and law on February 28, 2014 "We had great clarity about the vision," Evan Wolfson said at this Columbia Law Symposium on gay rights and reproductive rights. "If you can’t say what winning is, you’re not going to be able to get there as effectively as you need to."
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Evan Wolfson Reflects on Decade of Marriage Momentum at ‘Cheers to 10 Years’ Event
Evan Wolfson delivered remarks at the 10th Anniversary celebration event, reflecting on the movement and organization he has led for ten years. "Thank you for joining us at this 10th anniversary party for Freedom to Marry. With your help, we are determined, there will be no 15th," he said
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“Lessons Learned, Symposium Keynote Between Evan Wolfson and Olatunde Johnson”
Published by Columbia Human Rights Law Review on April 1, 2014 At this symposium, Freedom to Marry president Evan Wolfson shared lessons learned from the marriage movement, brainstorming ways that the right to housing movement can learn from the effort and successes.
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Guns, Marriage, and the Constitution
Published by Open Society Foundation on January 23, 2014 Listen to audio from this conversation between Freedom to Marry founder Evan Wolfson and David Keene, the former president of the National Rifle Association, on the challenges each campaign faced and the strategies they deployed to protect the right to which they are committed: the freedom to marry for same-sex couples and supporters of the right to bear arms.
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Tony Kushner’s Presentation of Pride Agenda’s Douglas W. Jones Leadership Award to Evan Wolfson
"Evan’s vision of marriage equality has always been as generous and expansive and deserving of the word 'vision' as his pursuit of it has been strategic, disciplined, and realistic," Tony Kushner said, presenting the Douglas W. Jones Leadership Award to Evan Wolfson.
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Evan Wolfson’s Acceptance Speech for the Douglas W. Jones Leadership Award
Evan Wolfson's speech accepting the Douglas W. Jones Leadership Award
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Evan Wolfson’s Testimony Before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Published by Evan Wolfson on July 20, 2011 Testimony of Evan Wolfson, Founder and President, Freedom to Marry before the Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate for the hearing on S. 598, The Respect for Marriage Act: Assessing the Impact of on American Families on July 20, 2011
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Evan Wolfson Talks About Marriage for Martin Luther King Day 2011
Published by Freedom to Marry on January 21, 2011 Freedom to Marry President Evan Wolfson gives the keynote speech at the University of Michigan Law School's observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
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Evan Wolfson at Freedom to Marry’s January 2011 Reception
Published by Freedom to Marry on January 14, 2011 Evan Wolfson speaks at Freedom to Marry's January 13, 2011 fundraising reception about the strategy for winning marriage nationwide.
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Evan Wolfson Discusses the Marriage Landscape in 2008
Published by Freedom to Marry on August 26, 2008 Evan Wolfson was the guest speaker at the New York office of Dickstein Shapiro LLP. He discussed the landscape for marriage in 2008, and explained why the California Supreme Court's carefully-worded decision affirming the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples is one of the most important milestones in gay civil rights history.
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Authors at Google: Evan Wolfson
Published Google on May 29, 2007 Evan Wolfson visited the NYC Google office on May 29, 2007 to discuss his book "Why Marriage Matters."
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C-SPAN Debate: Evan Wolfson’s Opening Remarks
Published by C-SPAN on March 14, 2007 From C-SPAN, an excerpt of Evan Wolfson's opening comments in a debate about parenting and the freedom to marry with David Blankenhorn of the Institute for American Values. Evan draws on the leading experts (American Academy of Pediatrics, Family Law Quarterly) who say ending discrimination in marriage would help families and hurt no one. This debate was held on March 14, 2007 at Pace Law School.
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