San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today joined City leaders, LGBTQ community and advocates to celebrate San Francisco’s 20th Anniversary of the ‘Winter of Love,’ the historic milestone that took place in 2004 when then Mayor Gavin Newsom directed City officials to begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses.
The official “Winter of Love” ran from February 12- March 12, 2004, and today’s celebration at City Hall will welcome hundreds of couples to be married on the City’s annual Valentine’s Day celebration of love. Nearly 200 couples are registered with the County Clerk’s Office to be married by the end of the day.
As part of today’s celebration, Mayor Breed and various elected and City officials plan to lead vow renewal ceremonies and officiate marriages for couples throughout the day.
"We are a City that centers our values around equality and inclusivity, and I am so proud of everything we have accomplished for the LGTBQ community here and around the world. In San Francisco, love is always at the center of who we are," said Mayor London Breed. "As we celebrate 20 years since the moment when San Francisco chose unity over division which paved the way for many, I want to thank Governor Newsom and every City leader and employee who stepped up to protect what we are all deserving of – to love and be loved by whomever we choose."
In 2004, same-sex marriage was prohibited under state and federal law. San Francisco’s historic actions that year and the legal battles that followed paved the way for achieving marriage equality nationwide.
On February 10, 2004, former Mayor Gavin Newsom made history when he wrote to then-County Clerk Nancy Alfaro, urging her to alter the template for marriage licenses to accommodate a same-sex couples.
“During the historic ‘Winter of Love’ in San Francisco, people of all backgrounds came together to champion human dignity. In those few weeks we learned to listen to people, not pundits; focus on fairness, not tradition; and err on the side of inclusion,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “We must continue to apply those lessons and stay vigilant to protect the fundamental rights that were so hard won. The actions taken by countless individuals garnered overwhelming support for equality and protections everyone deserves.”
City officials worked quickly to update the form. On the morning of February 12, then-Assessor-Recorder Mabel Teng married LGBTQ-rights activists Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon in a small, quiet ceremony in Teng’s City Hall office. A handful of other couples followed, including Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, marriage equality activists who upon hearing the news, rushed to City Hall to be wed.
In the days following, hundreds of couples lined the block around City Hall to get married, prompting City officials to kept City Hall open through Valentine’s Day weekend to continue marriages. Between February 12 and March 11, 2004, San Francisco issued over 4,000 marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
While the California Supreme Court ordered the City to halt the marriages on March 11, 2004 and later annulled the marriages in August, Newsom’s directive and the Winter of Love propelled the City’s legal fight for marriage equality, led by then-City Attorney Dennis Herrera.
“To this day I remember the stories I heard from the people who lined up for hours at San Francisco City Hall to get married,” said Dennis Herrera, Public Utilities Commission General Manager, who served as City Attorney during the Winter of Love. "I would walk that line every day when I came into work, and I'd hear their stories. They talked about the difference this was making in their lives and what it meant. It was the honor of my professional life to be a part of the legal fight for marriage equality in California, from defending then-Mayor Newsom’s decision to issue same-sex marriage licenses in 2004 to the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark rulings in 2013. It was a long fight, and there were ups and downs. But throughout it all, the best reward was seeing the joy on people’s faces.”
"It was a privilege to collaborate with former Mayor Gavin Newsom, former Assessor-Recorder Mabel Teng, former City Attorney Dennis Herrera, and City staff in this pivotal moment advancing the cause of marriage equality. Serving as the former County Clerk, it was inspiring to see the power that local City and County Policy can wield to stand in the face of injustice," said Nancy Alfaro, Director of SF 311, who served as County Clerk during the Winter of Love. "I take pride in the collective efforts of our City's leadership to bring about tangible change for our LGBTQIA+ community in San Francisco."
“Lessons from same-sex marriage led by San Francisco two decades ago are more applicable than ever as the city and nation stand strong together for justice, equality and solidarity for all,” said Mabel Teng, who served as Assessor-Recorder during the Winter of Love. “I am tremendously honored to have officiated Del and Phyllis’s marriage, their love symbolized true love, courage, healing and the fight to change narratives.”
The actions of San Francisco local leaders, LGBTQ community activists, and City staff were integral to the eventual legalization of same-sex marriages in all 50 states in 2015. Two decades after the Winter of Love, San Francisco remains a leader in protecting LGBTQ rights.
“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ‘Winter of Love,’ we honor the history-making leadership of then-Mayor Gavin Newsom, whose bold decision to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples marked a pivotal moment in the struggle for LGBTQ+ equality,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “It was the honor of my career to serve on the executive staff of the first public sector law office in American history ever to sue a state to strike down discriminatory marriage laws, and we also honor the lawyering and leadership of then-City Attorney Dennis Herrera and his team for a nine-year legal battle that secured marriage equality in California, and set the stage for LGBTQ+ marriage equality nationwide.”
“Twenty years ago, a large majority of Americans opposed same-sex marriage,” said District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. “Two decades later, an overwhelming majority across the country now support it. San Francisco’s civil disobedience during the “Winter of Love” kicked off a decade of political and legal activism that won new rights and a shift in public opinion in support of queer people.”
“I was single during the Winter of Love but hopeful that one day I would be able to marry. I was working at the ACLU as part of the same-sex marriage movement. The minute couples began lining up at City Hall to get married, my job was to gather their personal stories for the ACLU so we could find plaintiffs for the inevitable court cases. The goal was to win in both the court of law and the court of public opinion. While it took another decade of hard work, the movement succeeded. I also met a wonderful partner and got married. It’s a lesson to never give up,” said District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio.
"The Winter of Love was a groundbreaking moment in San Francisco history, as City leaders took a stand against injustice. Despite legal challenges, Mayor Newsom and City leaders, with LGBTQIA+ activists, courageously embarked on a years-long fight for marriage equality that spread across the nation. The impact is visible every day in City Hall, as we welcome dozens of couples to get married, including many in the LGBTQIA+ community. As we celebrate the 20-year anniversary, we embrace the historic moment and recommit to protecting those hard-fought rights,” said City Administrator Carmen Chu, who oversees the Office of the County Clerk.
Today, Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres announced that in 2023 over 9,000 public marriages were recorded with the City, up from about 3,800 marriages in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Additionally, in Spring 2024, a fixed number of couples each day will be able to receive same-day copies of their Marriage Certificates, a process that can typically take up to 10 days, as part of a new pilot appointment service.
“Twenty years after the Winter of Love when San Francisco made history issuing the first Marriage License to a same-sex couple, we continue to shine brightly as a city of hope and inclusivity for LGBTQIA+ communities across the world,” said Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres. “It’s a privilege to lead an office where every day we see couples from across the country walk through our doors beaming with love, excited for the future, to get married in this great city that continually fights for equality for all.”
“The journey towards marriage equality began here in San Francisco with a bold act of defiance that culminated in the Supreme Court declaring marriage a constitutional right,” said Treasurer José Cisneros. “With a resurgence a of discrimination and hate targeting the LGBT community, we must continue to stand as an example of hope and equality for every individual, regardless of who they love.”
Same-sex couples who wed or renewed marriage vows in today’s celebration expressed their excitement to tie the knot on this historic anniversary:
"Twenty years ago, our lives were transformed when we exchanged vows at San Francisco City Hall during the first hour of the city's historic 'Winter of Love.' When we said “I do,” we felt for the first time ever that our government was treating us as equal human beings as LGBTQ people, and that our love was being given full dignity and respect under the law. It was the most romantic Valentine's Day weekend imaginable with City Hall filled with couples representing the full diversity of our city and country in all its beauty, declaring their love for each other. As the struggle for full equality and embrace of all LGBTQ people continues, San Francisco and the events that took place at City Hall 20 years ago stand as a beacon of hope and inspiration for all.” - Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis.
“After 15 years together and raising our son, we had a wedding appointment at City Hall on March 11, 2004, during the Winter of Love. The wedding was halted as we were walking up to the Clerk’s counter. The next morning, represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and the San Francisco City Attorney’s office, we became plaintiffs in the California marriage case that advanced to the California Supreme Court. Over the next four tumultuous years of court battles and public debate, we prevailed and were legally married by then-Mayor Newsom in September of 2008.” - Jeanne Rizzo and Pali Cooper.
“Love is love” - Jing Xin and Hui Zheng (辛静&郑荟).
“We would have never had the opportunity to do this had it not been for those in our community who tirelessly fought for this right. For our special day to coincide with the 20-year anniversary of the Winter of Love makes this all the more significant to us!” - Jacqueline Dominguez and Katherine Hanson.
###