OLYMPIA – An exhibit commemorating the passage of marriage equality legislation in Washington will be displayed in the Everett Municipal Building in downtown Everett from Wednesday, June 18 until September.
Love, Equally: The Journey to Marriage Equality was created in 2023 by Legacy Washington, a program within the Washington State Archives and Office of the Secretary of State, to recognize the people, history, and stories who stood at the forefront of LGBTQ civil rights in Washington state.
The exhibit was originally displayed in the Washington State Capitol Building in the Office of the Secretary of State for two years before moving to the Karshner Museum and Center for Culture & Arts in February 2025.
The exhibit will be displayed in the Everett Municipal Building, located at 2930 Wetmore Avenue in downtown Everett, and open to the public starting Wednesday, June 18. In honor of Everett Pride’s Annual Block Party, the exhibit will also be open on Saturday, June 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"The City of Everett is honored to host Love, Equally - a moving tribute to resilience and love. This exhibit tells the story of people who refused to be silent, who stood up and spoke out, and who helped bend the arc of our history a little closer to justice," said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin.
"We stand firmly in our belief that everyone deserves to live openly, safely and without fear - regardless of who they are or whom they love. Exhibits like Love, Equally honor that promise and challenge us to keep striving toward a more welcoming, compassionate and united community.”
The exhibition will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and remain in Everett until September.
The Journey to Marriage Equality
As recently as 2006, state law did not prohibit job discrimination against gays and lesbians, and the state Supreme Court banned same-sex marriage. When marriage equality appeared on the state ballot in November 2012, LGBTQ advocates shifted the debate from the head to the heart.
Instead of arguing about discrimination and privacy, advocates stressed that gay couples wanted the same white-picket fences, homey routines, and devoted commitments as heterosexuals. Using “family values” rhetoric, advocates condensed their universal message into a single word: Love.
“The success of the marriage equality movement stunned even its advocates at the time,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “The transformation from ‘outlaws to in-laws’ was one of the swiftest turnarounds in U.S. civil rights history.”
“I am honored to have voted in support of marriage equality as a State Senator in 2012, and I am proud our state was a trailblazer in the national movement toward same-sex marriage recognition.”
Their “love, equally” efforts won in Washington in 2012. It marked the first time marriage equality was approved by voters, rather than judges or politicians. Three years later, the U.S. Supreme Court followed suit.
Legacy Washington celebrated this history with profiles and an exhibit about people who were committed to LGBTQ civil rights and those still fighting for progress. Love, Equally: The Journey to Marriage Equality features a series of oral-history profiles, a printed book, and a photographic exhibit.
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About the Office of the Secretary of State
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Secretary of State oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime and the Civic Engagement Program to increase governmental trust and participation for all Washingtonians.
About the City of Everett
As the largest city and county seat of Snohomish County, Washington, Everett serves a diverse community of nearly 115,000 residents. Located 25 miles north of Seattle, the city is home to The Boeing Company and a robust network of high-tech and manufacturing enterprises. The current mayor is Cassie Franklin, who came into office in 2018 and is the city’s first elected female mayor.