On June 26th, the United States Supreme Court declared that their Constitution guarantees same-sex couples had the right to marry across the country.
The decision follows decades of activism, campaigning and litigation, and immediately following its announcement there has been a global outpouring of jubilation. While crowds outside the courthouse raised their arms and chanted “love has won,” the sentiment has been echoed by personalities from around the world – and the internet.
Celebration has come from actors…
Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Derek Jacobi, took to vine to celebrate the announcement, sprinkling confetti jubilantly along to the soundtrack of Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions.’ The veteran actors – who play an elderly gay couple at odds in ITV’s hit comedy Vicious – expressed their joy in the 7 second clip. McKellen, who in the video wears a white hat with a pride-filled rainbow rim, said: “Well done Supreme Court, about time. Glad you’ve joined the rest of us,” while Jacobi simply cried “well done – at last!” Both actors are openly gay and have been avid LGBT supporters for much of their careers.
Words by Anneka Honeyball
Neil Patrick Harris won many people’s hearts as teenage Doogie Howser, M.D., or as Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, but it was his role as musical super-villan Dr. Horrible he almost seemed to be quoting as he tweeted in celebration. Having been engaged for five years awaiting the legality of same-sex marriage, Harris married his husband David Burtka in 2014 following the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in New York three years prior, in a ceremony in Italy (of which Elton John performed at the reception). With now four year-old twins, this announcement surely comes as a hugely personal victory.
Words by Camilla Cassidy
It's a new day. Thank you Supreme Court. Thank you Justice Kennedy. Your opinion is profound, in more ways than you may know. #huzzah
— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) June 26, 2015
Another openly gay actor who took to social media to express his delight was George Takei – the actor best known for playing Lieutenant Sulu in the original Star Trek series. An avid tweeter, and unexpected pariah of internet trends, Takei posted a comical meme that depicts a ray of rainbow light shining mystically from a computer screen. Beneath the meme was the caption: “When I checked Twitter this morning… #LoveWins”
Words by Anneka Honeyball
When I checked Twitter this morning #LoveWins pic.twitter.com/RYsPJKx1F2
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) June 26, 2015
Another celebratory tweet that caught our eye was this rather lovely sentiment by actress Megan Boone. Best known for her portrayal as FBI Agent Elizabeth Keen on NBC’s hit crime-thriller series, The Blacklist, Boone mused poetically over the joyous events of the day: “I heard lightning once + said to mom ecstatically, ‘That means somewhere there’s a rainbow!’ Saccharine but I’m so glad I was right.” In a follow-up tweet, Boone expanded by saying “Ya know, cause kids hear lightning and see thunder. (Gosh Megs). But still #lovewins.”
Words by Anneka Honeyball
https://twitter.com/MeganBoone/status/614473673651568640
From artists…
Lady Gaga has never been shy in her LGBT activism, and has in the past been personally involved in the campaign for ‘The Four 2012’, which aimed to pass the same-sex marriage bill in the states of Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. From ‘Born This Way,’ to dedicating one of her first win for International Video of the Year to “God and the gays”, to bringing US service-members discharged for being openly gay with her to the 2010 MTV music awards in protest of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, she has long been an incredibly vocal member of the community. Her elation – posted to her Instagram – echoes sentiments of victory felt across the nation, for a cause for which she has long fought.
Words by Millie Cassidy
Even though Sam Smith is British, he has expressed his happiness at the ruling by stating, “ALL 50 STATES!!!! 😭 So happy. Times are changing my friends. We have such a long way to go and so much more fighting to do so I hope nobody stops and thinks everything’s ok because it isn’t, BUT it’s days like today, and moments like this that we’ve all gotta have a drink and celebrate how far we have come. I couldn’t be prouder to be gay x love to all x #PRIDE#EQUALITY“.
Sam Smith has been very vocal about gay rights and has never hidden his sexuality in the media. In fact, on his first American chat show interview, he told Ellen DeGeneres that he ‘came out’ when he was four and felt he had to mention it before his debut album was released because he did not want to hide who he was or lie just to sell records. He has passionately pushed gay rights issues and also shared this satirical image on his personal Instagram account to express his happiness on the US Supreme Court ruling and protest against those criticising the ruling.
Words by Georgia Simpson
https://instagram.com/p/4Zli-MR2SW/
And from everyone in between.
Ellen DeGeneres is arguably the biggest talk show host in the world right now. But if you don’t know her from that, you’ll recognise her as the voice of Dory from Finding Nemo.
Ellen has openly spoken about the difficulties that she has faced over the years due to the fact she is a lesbian – when she came out back in 1997, her career all but came to a grinding holt. In 2008, however DeGeneres became one half of one of the most powerful and popular gay-marriages in the world when she got hitched to actress and philanthropist Portia de Rossi at their home in Beverley Hills. The pair had been dating for four years when the State of California overturned the ban on same-sex marriage and they immediately jumped at the chance.
How did Ellen respond to the news that the US had legalised same-sex marriage nationwide? With one simple hashtag.
Words by Will Hodgetts
Similarly, though her reaction tweet was short and sweet, the happiness expressed by screenwriter, director and producer Shonda Rhimes was a joy to see. Best known as creator and execurtive producer of Grey’s Anatomy and with her recent work in Scandal and ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder, Rhimes’ progressive works have long included and celebrated diversity in gender and sexual orientation. When tweeted in October 2014 that,“the gay scenes in scandal and how to get away with murder are too much. There is no point and they add nothing to the plot,” she responded, “there are no GAY scenes. There are scenes with people in them.
If you are suddenly discovering that Shondaland shows have scenes involving people who are gay, you are LATE TO THE PARTY.
If u use the phrase “gay scenes”, u are not only LATE to the party but also NOT INVITED to the party. Bye Felicia. #oneLOVE.”
Words by Camilla Cassidy
#MarriageEquaility!!!! A giant step towards our country being a better place to be!
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) June 26, 2015
Despite the show’s abundance of drama, its hard to find fault with the colourful Instagram post made by Kyle Richards of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fame. Using the fashions of her female co-stars across the Real Housewives franchise to assemble a pride flag, herself and the entire Bravo network with her celebrated modern and reality TV’s diversity. “Life isn’t all diamonds and rosé,” the offical BravoTV Instagram reminds us, quoting Richards’ co-star Lisa Vanderpump, “but today it is.”
Words by Camilla Cassidy
Fun isn’t restricted to the real world, either. The official Game of Thrones twitter account also joined in the jubilation, by posting a picture of a Renly Baratheon funko pop figure stood before a rainbow pride background. The caption simply read: “Be Proud.” Renly Baratheon was a gay character in the show, who had a profound, physical relationship with Sir Loras Tyrell – the brother of his Queen, Margaery. A rightful and ultimately threatening heir to the Iron Throne, he was violently murdered in the second season by a ghostly apparition conjured by the red priestess, Melisandre on behalf of his power-hungry brother, Stannis.
Words by Anneka Honeyball
Be proud. #equality #SCOTUSMarriage pic.twitter.com/W0wC7rUjDT
— Game Of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) June 26, 2015
Though this victory is but a single one, and sadly much remains to be done to see the international attaining of rights for and acceptance of LGBT people, its significance cannot be understated. The world’s entertainment industries are progressively accepting and better reflecting the diversity that exists in our world and it seems that, at least today, the voices of joy and celebration from some of our favourite celebrities are by far the loudest.
