In the wake of last Friday’s landmark Supreme Court ruling that allows same-sex couples nationwide to marry, the White House was illuminated in rainbow colors for the evening, a nod to the achievement of the gay rights movement.
On Twitter, the official White House account displayed a rainbow-colored avatar of the presidential mansion.
Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama, also tweeted that the rainbow illumination reflects “what we always knew in our hearts.”
In press conference Monday President Obama said “I didn’t have the chance to comment on how good the White House looked in rainbow colors. To see people gathered in the evening on a beautiful summer night and to feel whole and to feel accepted and to feel they had a right to love, that was pretty cool. That was a good thing.”
A sizeable crowd had gathered outside the White House early Friday night to celebrate the ruling and catch a glimpse of the light display. Adam Smith and Kevin Barragan, two gay rights supporters, hopped on a bus together as soon as they heard the White House was going to be lit up.
“It’s huge,” Barragan said when asked about the significance of the White House openly displaying support for the gay rights movement. “Symbols are really important, especially for young people who are coming to terms with their identities.”
Barragan, who is from Ohio — a state that passed a constitutional amendment in 2004 that defined marriage as between a man and a woman — said the ruling directly impacted him.
“Maybe one day I’ll be able to get married in Ohio,” he said.