Legal landmark is also a point of Pride

Andrew S. Garib, METRO New York | PDF | New York. Pride Weekend isn’t just a celebration. This year’s festivities kicked off Thursday with the fifth anniversary of Lawrence v. Texas, a landmark Supreme Court case that overturned 14 state sodomy laws across the U.S. and helped open the door for gay marriage.

"It was an historic decision that really changed the legal landscape for all of us in huge ways," said Leslie Gabel-Brett of Lambda Legal, a gay-rights organization that argued before the court in the 2003 case.

John Geddes Lawrence, then 55, and Tyron Garner, then 31, were arrested in Lawrence’s apartment for having anal sex by a Harris County police officer with his gun drawn. Lawrence said that his 1998 arrest and indictment under Texas law violated his rights to privacy and equal protection.

The case was cited in the winning decisions in Massachusetts and California that allowed same-sex couples to marry.

"Lawrence vs. Texas was a beautiful, inspiring victory under the U.S. Constitution that made it clear that the fundamental liberties and rights in the Constitution apply to the LGBT community," Gabel-Brett said.

Published 08.06.27 02:00:00 -0500 GMT | Posted by Andrew Garib on 08.06.27 | |

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