SF couple to renew their vows 20 years after city's first same-sex marriages
Twenty years after same-sex marriage was legalized in San Francisco, one of the first couples to marry will be renewing their vows Friday night.
It's part of the World's Largest Pride Flag celebration. "Illuminate" will once again use lasers to form the world's largest pride flag down Market Street.
During the celebration, John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney will pledge their love to each other once again.
"I pronounce you legally married spouses for life', and the chills just went up and down my body," said Lewis, describing the first time the couple got married twenty years ago.
He said in that moment, he felt like the government was finally treating him like a human being and honoring his love of his partner.
"Renewing our vows just takes us back to that past place and time," said Gaffney. "When I think about pledging my love and committment to this man, I remember the first time staying those words in City Hall."
When the two first met in 1987, they didn't know if they would ever be able to marry.
"It was a dream, but a distant dream," said Lewis, remembering the late 80s.
On February 12th, 2004, that dream would unexpectedly come true. Lewis was at the right place, at the right time: a community event at San Francisco City Hall.
"I got to the rally and I learned something extraordinary, San Francisco had just burst open the doors for loving, committed same sex couples to get married," said Lewis. "I was literally shocked."
He immediately called Gaffney, who was at work.
"It was the most urgent wedding proposal you have ever heard. 'Get to city hall now, now, now!'" said Gaffney, holding up their wedding photo. "You can see we're kind of starry eyed, and we're actually better dressed today than we were on this very spontaneous wedding day, but we just couldn't be happier."
Just 6 months later, the California Supreme Court deemed those marriages void. They wouldn't be able to get married again until June 2008.
"Our wedding certificate," said Lewis, holding it up. "Most people put this in a drawer somewhere and never think about it. But for us this is a treasure."
Over the past two decades the couple have continued to be leaders in the Marriage Equality movement, even starting a nonprofit to educate people on the importance of LGBTQ+ marriages in the unitestates and around the world.
"In addition to our personal vows we vowed that we're going to do everything we can in our power to make this a reality for everyone who wants it," said Lewis.
They say the fight is not over, but they will continue to celebrate the wins, including the right to renew their vows and love freely and openly.