Pasadena Shows ‘Coming Out’ Is In

The year was 2004. Pasadena City Manager Miguel Márquez was working as the deputy city attorney in San Francisco.

Governor Gavin Newsom was the mayor of San Francisco. And, on Valentine’s Day of that year, Newsom decided to issue marriage licenses. 

“He didn’t have any authority to do it,” Márquez recalled, telling the story before a gathered crowd in the courtyard at Pasadena City Hall on Tuesday, celebrating Pasadena’s seventh annual “National Coming Out Day.”

“He just did it because it was the right thing to do,” Márquez continued. “And he got challenged. It went straight to the California Supreme Court, and the California Supreme Court said, ‘You can’t do that.’” 

“People had already gotten married,” Márquez continued. “They were lining up, and the court said, ‘You have to annul those marriages. You have to give back their marriage fees and, and tell them it didn’t work.’”

“I get to the city in July when the case decision comes out,” said Márquez, “and everyone was so demoralized. They’re like, ‘Who’s going to tell these people they are no longer married?  Oh, the new guy.’

Márquez had the “awful job” of telling more than 1,500 couples that they were no longer married. He had to draft the announcement from the City Attorney’s office.

He worked with his team to find a solution. Márquez and the team responded that they would tell the couples that the City of San Francisco disagreed with the State Supreme Court decision.

“The city wants you to be married,” he would say, “but the state is not allowing us, so while the fight hasn’t finished, you’re entitled to your fees back.” 

At the same time,  the City Attorney’s office then called for the creation of what they called the Same-Sex Marriage Litigation fund, offering the couples the opportunity to donate their fees to the legal fight. 

“And almost everybody did,” Márquez said. “We raised about $800,000 that prepared us for the subsequent fight that went in front of the California Supreme Court.” 

“The court eventually okayed same-sex marriages in California and then what happened? It grew from there,” Márquez said, beaming.

 “So,” he told the audience,  “I look back at 2004 and the awful task I had, to annul marriages, to today, where we’re celebrating a whole different world. It’s only been 18 years, but it’s been a hell of an 18 years.”

Pasadena’s seventh annual commemoration of the national event, which has been celebrated nationally for 34 years, was emceed by Tyanta “Tigger” Snow, and also featured Mayor Victor Gordo, Interim Police Chief Jason Clawson, and Councilmember Felicia Williams, among others. 

Said Gordo, “The beauty of the people of this city is what we celebrate here today. Inclusivity, loving one another, accepting one another, and always looking out for each other.”

“And so today I celebrate with all of you, our very special place,” he continued, “and I thank all of you for contributing to making Pasadena such a special place, and for continuing to embrace people from every walk of life, from every economic station, and from every part of the world. Today is a very special day to celebrate all of that.”

Rochelle Diamond, chair emeritus of Out to Innovate and director of the Flow Cytometry/Cell Sorting Facility at Caltech,  delivered the keynote address.

Diamond has provided service to more than 30 on-campus biology, chemistry and chemical engineering division labs as well as 50 research projects per year, since 1984, serving as a national expert on the use of flow cytometry and cell sorting. 

She participates in the Caltech community on a number of levels, including membership on the LGBTQ working group committee, establishing the Caltech Mentoring Day with the Caltech Career and Development Center, and working career fairs on behalf of the Caltech Academic Partnership with MentorNet.

The evening also featured Mariachi Arco Iris De Los Angeles, the nation’s first LBGTQ+ mariachi band, led by Carlos Samaniego, and a special performance by Los Angeles drag queen Borgia Bloom Facade, as well as a range of community services, including Covid and flu vaccinations.