Educating the World about the Freedom to Marry and LGBTIQ+ Equality

Marriage Equality is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that educates about the importance of marriage and LGBTIQ+ equality in the United States and around the world.

Its cofounders Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis have been two of the leaders of the marriage equality movement for 20 years. Together for 37 years, they were one of the couples that brought the historic lawsuit that established the freedom to marry in California in 2008. For years, they were two of the leaders of Marriage Equality USA, where they worked with countless friends, family, colleagues and other coalition organizations to achieve marriage equality nationwide. They have spoken at numerous venues in the U.S. and around the world.

Empowering LGBTIQ+ people, their friends, and family to tell their own stories and to advocate in their own voices was a central mission of Marriage Equality USA. John and Stuart continue this mission with Marriage Equality.

The core of our message is love and our common humanity. We endeavor with millions of other people around the globe to create a world in which LGBTIQ+ people — and indeed all people — can live with full dignity and freedom, including the freedom to marry the person they love.