HRC Blog

In the wake of the Supreme Court rulings in the Prop. 8 and DOMA cases, Chad Griffin sat down for a Q&A with the Los Angeles Times and touched on everything from Harvey Milk to straight allies, and the entertainment industry to his own childhood in Arkansas.

He talks about his emotional reaction when he first heard the Supreme Court’s decisions while seated in the courtroom.

“First the DOMA decision was read, and then we moved to the Proposition 8 ruling. You hang onto each sentence because you think perhaps the next sentence is going to undermine the previous one. It wasn't until the judges finished reading that the magnitude became clear,” Griffin said. “You heard the gavel go down. All stood in silence again, and we walked out with teary eyes and knots in our throats. We walked to the front door and began to descend those stairs, and two or three steps down you heard the roar of the world, the thousands who had gathered out front. It was an incredible moment.”

While much of the article focuses on recent gains for the LGBT community, Griffin looks ahead to the work that is left to be done.

“We now have two Americas: 30% of Americans live in states where they're legally able to get the rights and privileges and protections of marriage, and 70% live in the other 37 states,” Griffin said. “It's our job to ensure equality reaches everyone.”

Read the full article in the LA Times.