Supporters
Every day, new voices speak out in favor of the freedom to marry. Business and labor leaders. Faith leaders. Entertainment and media figures. Elected officials and community leaders.
Some of those voices are unexpected.
Charles Barkley
Hall of Famer and 11-time NBA all-star Charles Barkley won the MVP in 1993 and played in two Olympic games, including on the historic "Dream Team." In honor of its 50th anniversary, the NBA named Barkley as one of its 50 greatest players of all time. Barkley currently provides Emmy Award-winning pre- and post-game analysis for the TNT's NBA programming and has announced his intention to run for Governor of Alabama, his home state, in 2014 as an independent.
Barbara Pierce Bush
Barbara Pierce Bush is the elder of the fraternal twin daughters (the other is Jenna Hager, née Bush) of the 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush, and the granddaughter of the 41st U.S. President George H. W. Bush. On September 23, 2010, Ms. Bush attended a fundraiser for the pro-freedom to marry American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) in New York City at the Mandarin Oriental in the Time Warner Center.
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was the CEO of Apple, which he co-founded in 1976. Jobs also previously served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios. Before his death in 2011, he was listed as either primary inventor or co-inventor in over 230 awarded patents or patent applications related to a range of technologies.
Dick Cheney
Richard "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is the father of Mary Cheney, an open lesbian.
Christine Chavez
Civil rights activist Christine Chavez currently serves as the District Director for State Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero. Chavez is the former Political Director of United Farm Workers, the union which her grandfather Cesar Chavez co-founded.
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel is an American politician and former White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama. He served as senior advisor to President Clinton at the White House from 1993 to 1998 and as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 5th congressional district.
Eminem
Marshall Mathers, better known by his stage name Eminem, is an American rapper, record producer, actor and singer. Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album, The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. The following album, The Marshall Mathers LP, became the fastest-selling solo album in U.S. history.
Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta is the current President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation for Community Organizing. She co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Cesar Chavez and holds the emeritus positions of the UFW as Secretary Treasurer and First Vice President.
James Forbes
The Reverend James Forbes is the Senior Minister Emeritus of the Riverside Church, an interdenominational church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City. He was the first African American minister to lead this multicultural congregation, and served it for 18 years.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese soccer player who plays as a forward for Spanish club Real Madrid and serves as captain of the Portuguese national team. Ronaldo currently holds the distinction of being the most expensive player in football history. His contract with Real Madrid is believed to have made him the highest-paid football player in the world.
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19, 1946) served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Clinton was described as a New Democrat and was largely known for the Third Way centrist philosophy of governance that came to epitomize his two terms as president.
Dr. Michael Eric Dyson
Named by Essence magazine as one of the 50 most inspiring African Americans, the Rev. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson is the author of the 2004 NAACP Image Award winner for outstanding nonfiction literary work, "Why I Love Black Women" and the national best-seller, "Open Mike: Reflections on Philosophy, Race, Sex, Culture and Religion." He is the Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Religious Studies and Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
Jesse Jackson
The Rev. Jesse Jackson is an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to form Rainbow/PUSH. Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. is his eldest son. In an AP-AOL "Black Voices" poll in February 2006, Jackson was voted "the most important black leader" with 15% of the vote.
Meghan McCain
Meghan Marguerite McCain is the oldest daughter of Senator John McCain and Cindy McCain. She first received media attention in 2007 for her blog, McCain blogette, in which she writes about life on the campaign trail, fashion, music, and pop culture.
Videos more →
Service Members Speak Out for the Freedom to Marry
Three military veterans who, together with their friend, U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant T. Ashley Metcalf represent 45 years of military service. Sgt. Metcalf is gay, and his band of brothers support him and the freedom to marry.
Freedom Oklahoma: Cuyler Family on Why Marriage Matters
This new video focuses on Ed Cuyler, a retired Army colonel who served in the Army for 12 years, with 22 years in the Army reserves. He has received a Purple Heart and speaks here about why he wants his daughter to be able to marry the woman she loves.
William & Marge Bradshaw for Utah Unites for Marriage
William and Marge Bradshaw have 5 children and 18 grandkids. Above all, they know marriage is about love and commitment—and all loving couples deserve the rights that only marriage can provide.
