PORTLAND, Maine — The Portland attorney who successfully argued for marriage equality last year before the United States Supreme Court was honored Wednesday night for her role in the historic case.
The Maine Historical Society gave Maine History Maker Award to Mary Bonauto, who has spent three decades crusading for equal legal rights for LGBTQ people in Maine and across the country as an attorney with GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders.
She has helped to build paths toward marriage equality in state legislatures and courts, which converged last year in Washington D.C. with the case of Obergefell v. Hodges — the case in which the country’s highest court established same-sex couples’ right to marry as the law of the land.
MORE: Maine lawyer who led fight for gay marriage details journey
In a presentation ceremony at Portland’s First Parish Church, Historical Society Executive Director Steve Bromage said Bonauto’s pivotal role in the landmark case made her the obvious choice for this year’s award. The BDN was the media sponsor for the event.
In a short acceptance speech, the civil rights attorney said she was honored but also warned that the fight to extend equality under the law to all people — regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity — is far from over.
“We’re still not done,” she told the roughly 100 people there to honor her.