The Freedom to Marry records include incorporation documents, meeting minutes, grant applications, promotional material, correspondence, office memos, legal cases, briefs, amici curiae, administrative files, research files, polling files, websites, and audiovisual materials created by, about, and for Freedom to Marry, a bipartisan campaign, to attain marriage equality for same-sex couples in the United States. The organization’s records focus almost exclusively on this goal, and the few materials that do not are related to civil rights for the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, plus) community. Materials are dated from 1948 to 2016 with the bulk falling between 2003 and 2015, the years that the campaign was active. Material dated prior to 2000 is related to the organization either as historical context or research, or pertains specifically to Evan Wolfson’s (Freedom to Marry’s founder and president) career prior to the establishment of Freedom to Marry.
Evan Wolfson's professional papers (Series I) document Wolfson's career prior to the foundation of Freedom to Marry and include material from Wolfson’s time at Lambda Legal, including legal briefs relating to his casework. A bulk of these briefs relate to the case Boy Scouts of American and Monmouth Council, Boy Scouts of America v. James Dale. Wolfson’s professional papers document his wide breadth of research for his cases and his leadership within the organizations Lambda Legal and Freedom to Marry. Wolfson’s professional papers date from between approximately 1990-2009.
Administrative documents (Series II) detail the organization, activities, and history of Freedom to Marry. These, along with the annual reports, job descriptions and job search documents, the papers of Samiya Bashir, the communication director, and the papers of Thalia Zepatos, director of research and messaging, contain information on the day-to-day running of Freedom to Marry from its inception in 2003 to its culmination in 2015. Additionally, the website provides a significant understanding of the history, structure, and mission of Freedom to Marry.
These records also detail the marketing and financial strategies used by Freedom to Marry and their work with partner organizations. Financial records, such as regranting files and annual reports, demonstrate the partnerships between Freedom to Marry and other civil rights and equal marriage organizations, particularly the Human Rights Campaign, GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders), GLAAD (once known as Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), Lambda Legal, and the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). There is also a significant collection of press clippings, research files, and published material tracking the victories and losses of the marriage equality movement across the United States.
Audiovisual materials (Series VII) consist primarily of television publicity that advocates for marriage equality, or programming produced for or about Freedom to Marry promoting the campaign. Recordings of community events and town halls debating marriage equality are also included.