Research on that concern . That is always in something really pressing to me to know where i am from in terms of africa. I know it is difficult because of the fact that the history of being inflated, and dispersed, children and adults. And suc but have many a few historians ever addressed that concern . I think we will let him answer that one. Let an for 35 years come assisted researchers in the 70 were working on family history. Family history is a big part of what the archives staff assist teachers with pa if you have been asked for help, and ask fot help. You will find the records of slave people appeared he got to realize youve got to search the wave records. Youve got to search the deep search the deeds, the wheels. And very honestly, sometimes they are not here. Es they the family got rid of the plantation records. It always amazes me when i see a pilgrimage home, a lot of times the family home, they still have the plantation records on display in the pilgrimage home. They are not available for youy to research and not home. A lot of times the family took the records. A lot of times the family destroy the record. Taking up space in their new modern home. Sometimes the records were truly not available. La if you can identify a possibility of my family, the records might have found a way and pa what i found is when i was doing when i went to the t archives, there was so much more that you could actually research. I got as far as unfortunately they named the people who in the same same category as the data animals. But they didnt go so far as naming those plantation owners and then from there, the question may the question i had was where those people came from prior to that, but they put a federal seal upon those records. My question is, dont you think people deserve to know where t they are actually originally from . The answer is yes they do. The records must exist for that possibility. To find out where you are from coming to dna testing would help without for africanamericans in a big way. But again, that is a deal i havent pursued. I would deal with paper records myself. I think on that note we need it cut it off. We are getting. Thank you for comment and thank you to all of our panelists for the discussion. [applause] sound nine well, hi there. Welcome. I am treating 10. Today the meeting, Networking Organization was founded back in 1983. 33 years ago. Is a nonprofit, professionals have threefold mashers. One career, we offer seminars and workshops on career transition and possible professional development to community. We help members build a cpt business relationships and after work mixers and three, culture. We program out there appearances like to name. When we are happy to welcome that, our professionals favorite. For 10 years, he directed movie features and produce news stories and us weekly. Hes connecting q a set dozens of newsmakers and has provided commentary on cnn, msnbc, good morning america, today show. As the media manager and family equality count low, last years Marriage Equality argument that the Supreme Court. Please spoke on bradley jacob. Cloud my out the miami herald, she was a member of the pulitzer prizewinning investigative reporting team. At the Washington Post, shes reported on the failure of local groups to provide services to people with aids. Her investigative reporting has led to changes in federal law regarding the Housing Program for the poor. Choose the distinguished coauthor of love wins. Please welcome him debbie cenziper. [applause] Foreign Policy magazine has named him one of the global thinkers. Out magazine included hand and its annual power 100. Hes been named plaintiff in last years Supreme Court, Marriage Equality case. He became the face of the movement and the legal groundbreaker and he is the coauthor of love wins, ithacas National Lunch we celebrate tonight. Please spoke on jim obergefell. [applause] [inaudible] the mayor and possibly the governor wont be here. From here, down there. And they know that what happens in landover, peter and their inner conversation. I dont want to be afraid it, but i do want to start out talking about this and that journey together. Lets begin, shall we . [inaudible] [laughter] one of the first things that comes up is that up is that they give our president struggling to pronounce her last name. You werent there. I [inaudible] i got that phone call and heard everything about it. He avoided propounding her last name we are doing this one instead. So how did it feel . Lets talk about that phone call. When did you know youre going to be getting that call . At some point that day, someone said that given a couple phone numbers out in case anyone wants to call you. That was all they had. With the implication that it might be someone important . For me, it came as a surprise, but anything couldve happened in that moment than it would have been a surprise because i was just overwhelmed and in the Small Network couldnt process what was going on. It couldve been any and i would have been a maze. It was the president. For me, im really thrilled cnn has been to be there. After i spoke with the president , every single interview after that committed very first question was what did the president say, what did you say . Ill tell you. I have a transcript right here. He said im really proud of you. Your leadership has changed the country. Youre bringing up lasting change. It couldnt be more proud of you and your husband he said to the crowd twice. And then you said, thank you, mr. President. It was like nothing you have returned to. When people i say that, i know idea, no memory whatsoever what the president said or what i said. In fact, i was nervous. I wandered over and over, did i form complete sentences . Was that polite, with a respectful . To be able to watch that was one of those moments as i can relax now because at least they didnt make a fool of myself. That was not the first time he had spoken with the president. He talked to them earlier that week and a pride celebration in the white house. Correct. At the opportunity to meet him earlier that week for this reception. Didnt he give you some kind of clue is going to happen . Well, what i remember him saying is we are all looking forward to some positive news are hoping for a positive news this week. Something along those lines. I dont know that he had any clue. I dont think he knew. But he was hopeful and that gave me hope. I was really wonderful. He is always described yourself as an accidental actor. So take us back and just there to quickly summarize a few good how your name ended up as the lead plaintiff here. Well, back in 2013, june june 26th of this year when the winthrop decision was announced, john, my partner of over 20 years at that point died of als and he was bedridden. When the decision was announced, simply landover, 10 and kissed him and said lets get married. Luckily he said yes. We then had to go through the painful process of how to do that, but we made it happen. They came home from maryland where they got rid on a tarmac and we got back to cincinnati and thats all we wanted to do about johns remaining days as husband and husband. We had no other plan. By virtue of friend, telling our story, the civil rights attorney pledged. And our first conversation, he did something that changed the course of our life, which has turned into the change in our country. What plan had happened and they filed suit in the state of ohio in federal court and we want. Later we were combined with five other cases from three other states than we lost in the Appeals Court and we filed with the Supreme Court and the question was how did it become known . It isnt anything complicated or mythical or special. Simply by virtue of timing. The name it on that basis case number. We had the lowest case number. Where the lion share and how did they feel having their name attached to this legendary, and now iconic . I am the baby of six and all of my siblings have nieces and nephews other than one who lives here in, all of my nieces and nephews and siblings are in Northern Ohio where he grew up. Over and over they tell me, they say jim, we cant believe this is a obergefell who is doing this, who is out there in front of people and speak in and doing what youve done. No other obergefell could have done this. They are incredibly proud and happy for me and they were completely supportive of john and me from the very moment john came into my life. They are just thrilled and happy and glad that it is not them in the limelight. You dont strike me as a limelight loving person. You are an i. T. Professional. Was there ever a moment where you are like i dont know that i want all this. I dont know that i want my name in the paper. I dont know that i want to beat this. Well, i never think of myself as an icon, so i never thought of it that point. I know it would initially filed suit there was some trepidation that our faces, our names, the video of us would be in the news and around the country. Theres always some trepidation without because we were public people. We were very private. Ive never wanted to be someone recognize. Some of the people we stopped on the street. Over the past year as it happens over and over. Street corners here to walking in the square and airport. All across the country, people see me. They recognize they dont stop me. Even though it is something i wanted, i wouldnt trade it for anything because they stop made simply to say thank you, to shake my hand, tatami stories, to share photos, to have it when they cant take of anything else to do. So many of those interactions result those interactions resulting tears in every every single time that happened, it is the best payback for any loss of anonymity that i have given by sasser. I would do it all again just knowing those personal interactions are the gift that i get every single day. Thank you. [applause] take us back to that june last year because i heard that you went to the Supreme Court every day pretty much thinking that it might be the day. So tell us a little bit about that. Wendy juking inklings, not from president obama, but it may be happening on the 26th. So i was told by several people come you really should start showing up in d. C. In mid june. This a big decision in typically they hold off on those decisions until the end of the term. Start showing up to june just to be there. I was in d. C. For every decision day. At that point we all thought well, monday, june 29th because they had only decision based on mondays. Without monday, june 29th, likelihood of a happening. The week of the 22nd i was there on monday and that was the day they then announced we are going to release decisions later this week on thursday and then they also added friday. That was when we all started to say friday, june 26th. That is a somewhat important date for the movement. We all started thinking it is going to be on friday. So i got to the Supreme Court, took my place in line. I was just in the public line with 50 or 60 other people they are to in the courtroom and the atmosphere that morning was vastly different than any other morning. It was lighter. It was the loser. It was happier. I think it was because most of us have not laughed that june june 26, we think this is a sign. People seemed happier and more upbeat. Then the other amazing game, every time ive been in court understanding of the public line when they hand out tickets for the public spec leaders, every time weve been in line with their decision days, the tickets were bright orange. Thats all that they handed out the tickets. We are still just chatting and i looked down at the ticket and i noticed something nobody else had remarked time. I havent taken advantage he noticed Something Different . The tickets that day were lavender. What better sign. They have been orange every single other time. May be assigned. Okay, so were you inside . I was inside. After seeing the mind, the lettuce in the courthouse where you just have to kill some time standing in line somewhere. Then we entered the courtroom and the proceedings started in the chief justice said, Justice Kennedy will read the first decision. They read the case number and item that finally been arrested the day before. When the case number came out, jumped in my seat. I know i squeaked. I made some kind of noise. I was sitting between friends and i grabbed their hands. Im happy to report they still have all of their fingers. Justice kennedy started to read his decision. My first reaction was we wanted. Well, i think we gave. He read some more. Well, im not really positive yet. And then it sunk in that we did actually win and i just burst into tears. All around the courtroom you could hear and see people crying. There was this amazing alike a feeling of joy and happiness. For me, there was this wonderful moment of perhaps for the first time in my adult life as being honest with myself about who i am and honest with others in that part of my life, the first time i felt truly like an american, to hear a Supreme Court justice say, you know why it, john and jim, joe and rob, they are here. Theyre wonderful son, cooper. Kelley and kelley, pam end quote you all do matter. Your relationships matter. Your children matter. I felt like part of we the people. I felt more unamerican than that moment than i ever have my whole life. [applause] that moment back, the Justice Kennedy referred to you in his writing. Maybe it is more confining marriage birding body size date is a sacrifice and family. And for many Marital Union to something greater than what they were. Some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate marriage embodies love that they endure that was unquestionably do. The canosa David Michener he joined the case in ohio. He and his husband had been together for years. They have three adopted children and they had married earlier this summer and his husband died unexpectedly. So there was another widower of bear with me as part of this fight to stay our husbands death certificates deserve to be accurate. The wonderful. Lets talk about what happened then. There were crowds. Describe babbling. I was there. Our attorney was fair. But this drama and argues the case in court, they were there. There were other plaintiffs they appeared we all gathered in the hallway. We were getting to exit the building and in my mind i am picturing all those landmark cases, when you see this image of the plaintiff for the plaintiffs walking down the steps. This iconic photos. It may mind and thinking i get to do this. This is really going to happen. Suddenly Obvious Police officers went running up the building and down the front steps, but no one said anything. We got ourselves together and started heading that way. Another officer said im sorry you cant exit that way. You have to exit out the side of the building. I felt disappointed. I thought i dont want to watch down the stairs. In that moment i realized i felt kind of selfish thinking that, but it was just one of those images, that kind of go with that building and with these cases. We exited the side of the building and the reason we had to come in the crowded pushed her word past the barricades. There is such a sense of celebration that they appeared people push their way forward. They didnt want us talking down the steps, so we exited the building and ended up on the sidewalk and then we walked up onto the class and our attorney and night, leading the group and we are going through the crowd and i didnt even realize. Debbie is the one who pointed it out because she was there. She said did you realize as you let the group of plaintiffs and attorneys to that crowd, they split before you like the red sea. That is exactly how the west. I think back and i can see it. I just didnt realize it at the moment. Walking through that crowd again, a palpable sense of joy, to see the tears and the smiles on the faces of other people is one of the most beautiful moment of my life. I realized in that moment, i find im glad it didnt go down as that because maybe i wouldnt have had this experience and this experience is better because then the minute of all these people. The 30 plus plaintiffs than i did this for everyone. And i got to celebrate with everyone. I will never, ever feel bad about not having that iconic photo. I would give that would give that back for that it is over and over. So lets just had to debbie for a minute or two because they want to catch everyone up. You have been working with jim and following gym for several before the Marriage Equality decision. Writing the book along. I like millions of people read about jims story of johns story in the Washington Post wire work as an investigative reporter. I knew i wanted to tell the story. I knew i wanted to write this book, so i immediately took an unpaid leave of absence from a job at the Washington Post and the affidavit and work towards a Supreme Court decision in june. Whichever way it went, i knew this was the story of wanted to tell. Clarify you guys know each other because you actually go but 20 years, right . John and jim r. At my wedding 25 years ago and i remember that like it was yesterday. We were in touch often on through the years through family. At last told john that a family event in 2011 for it before he was diagnosed with als. Were you related john through marriage . Through marriage, yes. When he typed in an interview that how you called him on the phone and said i had this agent interested in writing the book. Great. I dont know how you got his phone number. We were in touch often on. John and jim were in ohio and i lived in different states working for different newspapers. Every journalist wants to write for investigation to investigation. Paragraph lots of stories about government corruption and fraud and bad people doing bad things that this is a completely different game. This is a story about love and commitment of family and i was so moved by it but i did this was the book i wanted to write. It is the first book. This story read about you that i thought it was sure if i was going to mention it. I thought it was very humid. That friday, june 26th, an amazing mix. As he talked about seeing all the smiling faces. Then he went to the airport and back and hatcher playing delayed. What happened there . After the decision, and he did quite a few more interviews and then i went to Reagan National airport in d. C. To fly back to cincinnati because the next day on saturday was the pride parade in cincinnati and i was going to write in that parade along with paul that the paul that very gas and alan some of the other plaintiffs. So i get to the airport, feeling high and actually when i got to the gate, was using one of those tables were you can plug in the charger for. I was there in the woman next to me turned to me and said congratulations. And then delayed, delayed, delayed and a little bit after 1 00 a. M. , u. S. Air canceled the flight. And im frantic. Im so upset because all i can think of is i want to get home to cincinnati. I want to celebrate with my friends, my family, my neighbors, my fellow cincinnati in and im just devastated. I am so upset and i have been doing a lot of things with the Human Rights Campaign and there is such a help. They were trying to figure out, could they hire a car to get me home . Could they get me a train or find any other flight . It works for magic and found a site the next morning. 1 30 a. M. I took a cab back into the city and slept an hour and a half. Maybe aside. I dont know. Took a taxi to dulles and flew home. I got back in time to go to my condo, drop things off, take a quick shower, get dressed and go to the parade. You soldiered on. A date you had to be there. Everyone across the country were celebrating. I hear over and over a can people congregated in bars, and homes, champagne popping all across the country. All he could think was i missed the name. But thats okay. So i finished the parade, hung out a little bit, went to another, as in the San Francisco pride parade the next day. I have to tell you that was the experience. That was the moment that was really tough emotionally. I cried the entire parade route and i cried because as i was going down the street and a Million People mining industries, so many people i passed on the sidewalk were a generation older than me. The generation who lost almost all of their friends to aid in to see the tears on their faces and to realize what they had lost and to know that they are thinking i wish this friend, this friend, this friend, i wish all those people could see this. That was the most emotional moment for me from this he does tears. I heard over and over that day from people in San Francisco. They said you have no idea how different this pride parade is. It is more real. It is for honest. Its more emotional and i heard that over and over and over. Wonderful. Really, truly something to celebrate. Lets talk about the year. Has there been a lot theres been a lot of joy and also a lot of tough times at the site and technology bt contingent in this country, so it is determined to difficult for us. They seem very angry. It is coming out in these horrible religious freedom bills that weve seen in mississippi, North Carolina and elsewhere. I would just like to get your take on those. It is distressing, disappointing and so sad thing to know to realize people in our country just seem incapable of letting go, moving forward and really embracing what it means to be part of we the people and to be an american. I think we all expected a backlash to the Marriage Equality ruling. And just devastated at how vicious it has been. I think of the opponents of Marriage Equality in all gpt q. Equality in general and i know what it is. They look at changing attitudes than they realize that they are losing the fight when it comes to lgb part of the community. For whatever reason these people need a group. They need someone to blame, someone to hate and unfortunately, they see that they are losing ground, so they are targeting the most vulnerable part of our community, our transgendered family. It is disgusting. And its frightening that people are using these hateful laws to target a group, try to hold on to the past. Instead of moving towards the future. Thats awful. Youve met a lot of transgender people over the last year . I will say i always talk about i think about what harvey milk said any outfit come out, share your story because that is how we change hearts and minds. But it comes to the transgender community, i can say honestly a little over a year ago i had no transgender friends. At least none that i knew specifically. And im not alone in that. Im part of the community, but i was ignorant about what it means to be transgender. I was ignorant about what their lives are like. I have learned so much over the past year and it is because i open myself to that. I have learned. I have met transgender people become their friend. They have become my friend. It has changed my days. It is changed by attitude. It is changed so much about being unfaithful in the end because i hadnt, im afraid i would still be suffering under a lot of those misconceptions that many other americans do. It comes down to education. It comes down to meeting people different than you or an understanding we are no different. We are the same. We want the same things. Throughout life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. I feel fortunate ive been able to grow in that respect and am thankful for those friends and i will keep fighting for that. I will keep talking about their right to live there life without fearing for their lives. Unfortunately, after this weekend, we are all fair. Incredible year. Its incredible what we see with the topsyturvy election and all these issues that are coming out at the same time. You endorsed hillary a while ago in the fall. How are you feeling about how hillary is handling everything now . I couldnt be more proud of hillary as the leader, as a person and as the presumptive nominee for president. I look at the presumptive nominee on the gop side and all i see is hate. Always the people who arent like i said last than us. And that is what im about. That isnt what any of you in this room is about. It frightens me and it saddens me because that is not america. At least not the america i know. Every action he makes seems to show how limited. Because im sure ill talk about it for another hour. His tweets yesterday were about him. Hillary would never. Bernie would matter. Anyhow. Maybe its a good time to open up questions to the audience. At one should know that cspan is here tonight and they are filming us. There is a boom that is going around. A question that jim r. Debbie. Just wait and we will bring you the boom. Actually, its a good moment to have a question because theres a little bit more than jim and the book. I wanted to talk about the other plaintiffs who you wrote about. Sure. Early on i knew i wanted to tell the whole story about obergefell v. Hodges. They were fascinating and very compelling plaintiffs in civil rights lawyers that we wanted to bring into the story. Their son cooper is the youngest named plaintiff in the case. I think he was too at the time. We wanted to tell their stories, too. What jim and john story is woven throughout the book, he really wanted to bring in a civil rights attorney from cincinnati who really helped lead this case at the other attorneys and plaintiffs. It wasnt just about death certificates. It was also about birth certificates. Couples who couldnt get birth certificates for their children. It really surprised me as someone on the sidelines. It wasnt really into the politics of a right. As a human being and a mother, to know that samesex couples went to the trouble of adopting or having children and were denied birth certificates. One parent was listed in the other was illegal stranger. I just found not so completely outrageous as a human being and as a mother. I really, really wanted take the time to read those stories into the book as well. Is the best suggestion debbie had. I try to always say this. It wasnt just about john and me. It was so much bigger than the two of us. From the start, we have to tell the bakers tory. So what is other plaintiffs and attorneys from the city of cincinnati because cincinnati has changed so dramatically over the past 20 years. The most compelling thing that and the federal judges went on the record to talk to me and describe their experiences in this case. One is on the Circuit Court of appeals then wrote a scathing dissent according Marriage Equality around the world she tried to talk to me about why she wrote that opinion a shootout in the oral arguments in the sixth circuit. It was a fascinating inside look at the way judges think and i was so happy to get them to cooperate with this book. Who is going to kick it off . First question. I didnt cover everything. I have a red boat, but they have that decision going the other way that was impacted on your boat. But what is the big picture and how much of a problem too bad audio by i think i wasnt thinking the decision would go the other way. I dont think anybody was. I saw this book right away as the loves tory and a legal thriller. Its not a history book. Not a boat based on politics. It is not going back into the history of gay rice. Other books of done that and it done it very well. This is a book about people, family, love, commitment, what hasbeens or spouses do to protect each other, what parents do to protect their children. It is a Human Interest story. I was just so moved and inspired by the people in that. Not just the plaintiff, but also the scrappy local civil rights lawyers in four states that really came together. A couple of them had ever filed a civil rights case before it is kind of the lead attorney, john legends attorney had done this for 35 years. The others pulled together for the right thing to do. In fact, they pulled together to file these cases come at even when they were worn the previous renter refuses to move up to the Supreme Court, very conservative circuit. There were other more sympathetic judges. They did it because they had clients who have a need. They needed her certificate of death certificates and that is what they wanted to do regardless. They did it without pay, not knowing what would happen. That was the right thing to do and i found the lawyers in particular to be so compelling as people and as characters in the book. Another question. Well, this isnt a question is not as an observation. I dont know if many of you know to be the Southern State as governor i established pride month in the state of louisiana. That would not have happened without the work that you all have done. To think of louisiana of all states, especially jericho. Its a good moment for america. Thank you for sharing that. Especially with everything going on, we need those great plays. We need those moments wed we can say okay, there is still good people and good things. Thank you for sharing that. What else have you been doing over the last year . How much have you been in cincinnati and traveling . What im not traveling i split my time between cincinnati and d. C. In all be moving to d. C. Fulltime and i think on average over the past year ive spent a total of maybe seven nights a month in either of my two beds. I time has been spent at speaking engagements, attending events, doing advocacy work. Events, speaking, all of that has kept me really busy. This is the beginning of your book. The book comes out tomorrow. Love wins is out tomorrow. And you are going to be at the smithsonian later this week. On wednesday. Correct. Nina will be interviewing the two of us at the smithsonian. Shes good, too. So youve been doing speaking events for the last several. I know a little bit about what it takes to put a book out. A year from the Supreme Court seems incredible. Seems like a miracle to me. What was it like for you . Thank you for that question. It was a labor of love. It just was. I enjoyed almost every minute of it. We knew we wanted to publish before the anniversary. I started traveling and writing a chapter every single week for about six months to get this book done. You know, i actually miss the writing process. I honestly loved every minute of it. One writer to another, how did she find the discipline of ruby to do a chapter . You have to have a journalist to read a book. Im so used to deadlines. 25 years living under deadline pressure. I think the scariest part of writing the book was they had to do with this so quickly and it wouldnt actually want to admit that since the editors in the audience, but there were times when i did go with the next chapter was going to go and if i had all of the materials for the next chapter. Honestly, when you are working with us away like this, it is unwise to the south. It just does. The people in this book, june and john and joe weinraub in the other characters and probably out of your heart sign who is one of the major characters in the book. He grew up on a chicken farm outside of cleveland. He went to nyu on a scholarship, came back to cincinnati even though it could have gone anywhere, made billions of dollars and wanted to fight for people who were disenfranchised. He is a very compelling man and theres always the way inspired me as a human being to the point where he kind of want to write different choice going forward. Not so much about bad people in government corruption and fraud, but stories like this. Public housing scandals. Those stories need to be written. They really did. This is a completely different thing on a personal basis theres the richest moved me like it did millions of other people. I would be in hearing your reaction to particularly Justice Scalia who were clearly in opposition to the decision that was ultimately rendered. Well, i think for me, through the sixth circuit, the Supreme Court, the Common Threat or lets just wait and see. Well, waiting to see isnt the right thing to do with peoples lives, when peoples have a right involved. The fact that seem to be a common theme. Bush is wait and see what happens because attitudes are changing. What do this and we shouldnt have to wait a year, a decade, a sanctuary for those bright to be upheld, to be recognized. The other thing was a whole concept a while, shouldnt people be able to vote on this . Why are we allowing a court to do this . Shouldnt it be done to the legislative process to a state . I will always go back and remember our very first tier in. The surest way to deny a minority rights is to allow the majority to vote on it. So for me, it seemed counterintuitive to me. It seems counter to the purpose and role of the court system for those justices to say that. Yeah, i think for me what was so brilliant about this case looking out my dad is that the lawyers were able to identify such a tangible, technical problem to these families we are struggling with. Marriage equality, i get it and samesex marriage, i get it. But these are couples that couldnt get Root Certificates or death certificate. They were married in one place, but their marriage did transport across the state line. How is that possible . How could we deny families these kinds of things . Theres so many problems i find as a journalist, children who are going up in poverty and schools and dysfunctional families and all kinds of problems. Here we are denying these couples these basic rights. So that is what spoke to me. I think they carried justices say, lets wait and the democratic process, you know, the cons duchenne does trump the democratic process and that was the point of this case. Just the overreliance on your train to change the definition of the word that has existed for millennia. My favorite rebuttal when that came up during oral arguments i think i think the authority change the definition of marriage. Women are no longer the property of their husbands. Marriage has changed. And that was just another tired argument that made no sense to me. No one person, no one group, no one tradition of the definition of marriage. It is a civil liberty, a civil right and that to me was just a very tired pointless argument. So what is next for you . Well, i will say the best thing that has come out of this experience for me is the realization that i have to be involved in something thats bigger, something more important than i am. John and i were activists. We signed checks. That was our activism. And to find ourselves in this spot where we had the ability to really say this is what matters to us, this is what we stand for and to know that that has had such an enormous impact, not just on the two of us over 30 of us on the Supreme Court are on our nation the rest of the world, i have to be part of things like that going forward. For me, what comes next is continuing to be an advocate and an activist, to speak up for the people who cant speak up or are afraid to speak up and to fight for everyone in our country who feels left them, who feels denied their basic work as a person. For me, that fight will continue and its not just for the lgb tiki community. We can all wake up, grow up as kids, feeling safe, loved enabled to be who we are without fear and without apology. We have worked to do. Ill be part of that as long as they need to be. For me, that has been the best possible outcome. The best personal growth that i couldve asked for. [applause] i did have one more question. There is going to be a movie, at least we hope. Tell us a little bit about that. Your book has been optioned . Yeah, even before the book was written, it was optioned. Thank you very much. But part of 20th century fox and temple hill productions. The screenplay is being written out by a very prominent, talented screenwriter in hollywood and fingers crossed that is keep moving forward. Any last questions . Who would you like to play you in a movie . I get this question all the time and it is such an odd thing to think about. It is a really weird cant have to ponder. And so, most importantly it wanted to be an actor for both of us. I wanted to be actors who are the best actors possible and bring life to our characters and are committed to doing the best job possible. That is what matters to me. If im going to be completely shallow because this is my opportunity to have someone portrayed me im a big screen. Of course i want to be hot. So, not omar. I wouldnt turn that down. Perfect choice. Good. Thank you all for being here tonight. [applause] and i would like to say just one more thing. Love wins is the title of our book. And that concept that love wanes, there has never been a more important time for our community, for a nation to cling to that into believing that. Love will always win over heat. Over heat. For me, it being here, talking about this in my story is incredibly emotional thing to be doing with what has happened in our country. I just ask you to think about that. Think about this boat and remember, love does when and that is the most important thing. That is the most important story of the most important cog that. If we cant teach that to our children, to our neighbors, to our friends commit to strangers or the way we behave by our actions and by what we say, that we are lost as a country. Take it to heart and love it. Thank you. [applause] cloud my well, i believe the bar is still up in. In closing, please remember that traditional gift for a First Anniversary as paper and a great way to celebrate the First Anniversary of the freedom to marriage would be to take home a signed copy of love wins, right over there. Thanks. Bo