ROSIE O’DONNELL was in Hollywood last night to receive an award from the LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE FUND, in part for her courage and leadership in marrying her partner KELLI CARPENTER, during the rush of gay marriages performed at City Hall in San Francisco earlier in the year.
Mayor GAVIN NEWSOME, from the city by the bay was also honored at the reception held at The Egyptian Theater, but could not attend on account of a hotel strike that demanded his immediate attention.
On February 26, 2004, ROSIE and KELLI were married by NEWSOME in a private chamber of the City Hall complex, and later took to the steps of the building to speak with reporters and announce to the world their actions. Mayor NEWSOME said he decided to grant the marriages after careful consideration of the political risks involved, but concluding that it was the right thing to do to halt the obvious discrimination against gays and lesbians. The matter is before the California Supreme Court, awaiting a ruling that may invalidate the more than 3,000 marriage licenses that were issued by the city.
PERI GILPIN, MEGAN MULLALLY, and RON RIFKIN were on hand to present and join in the celebration.
ROSIE commented on her actions on that cold and rainy day in February, “We had made a life long commitment to each other 6 or 7 years ago. So although February 26th was an amazingly important day to us emotionally, I also felt it was an act of civil disobedience. I wanted to be part, and I wanted to say to the people who stood online for hours outside the courthouse (city hall) in San Francisco, waiting to declare themselves families and couples, that I was proud to be one of them. That’s why I did it.”
And that’s why she honored Thursday night with the LAMBDA LEGAL LIBERTY AWARD.
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ROSIE donated an original piece of art for auction at the event.
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