June 12, 2007 marks the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia, which struck down the remaining interracial marriage bans in 16 states in the United States, ending race discrimination in marriage. Loving v. Virginia began when Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple, were arrested in Virginia after their Washington, DC wedding and sentenced to one year in prison. The Lovings appealed their conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which struck down discriminatory restrictions on who could marry whom.

COLAGE celebrates this anniversary as a critical milestone in activism, anti-racist organizing and civil rights. Ruby Cymrot-Wu, COLAGE Summer Intern shared: The Loving decision was critical not only in the fight against racism, but also in the quest for social justice in all of our lives. The removal of racially-based legal restrictions on marriage has allowed us, as LGBTQ families, the inspiration and firm legal ground to begin our own fight for marriage equality. The legacy of this decision directly affects many of our families, including mine, who would be excluded from marriage rights and privileges not only on the basis of gender, but also because of race. As someone who was raised in an inter-racial lesbian family, I know how much Loving has done, and how much more work is to be done to affirm our diverse families. Loving Day has afforded us the opportunity to see how victories in racial justice are interwoven into the ever-evolving history of the LGBTQ movement.

Read the Loving decision.

COLAGE reflects on the significance of the Loving decision:
* As a milestone in the fight against racial inequality
* For its importance in securing the freedom to marry as a civil right
* For its embodiment of the importance of social justice activism and independent courts
* For its relevance to today's ongoing battles against unfair exclusion from marriage for
same-sex couples.
* For its relevance to many COLAGE families who are interracial or include mixed race
individuals

We encourage COLAGErs to celebrate Loving Day at a local event near you:
and also want to spread the word about a Loving Conference in Chicago next weekend.