Last week, Rachel Maddow looked at one county clerk that has been embroiled in the fight for gay marriage over the years and how her story paints a vivid picture of gay marriage history being made.
Barbara Dunn (pictured above) is the clerk in Hinds County, Mississippi. Hinds County is home to the state capital, Jackson, and has seen numerous same-sex couples attempt to obtain marriage licenses throughout the years. Each time a couple applied for a license Barbara Dunn was obliged to reject them. Her hands were tied by the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. However, once the Supreme Court struck down all same-sex marriage bans and lower courts ruled that the Supreme Court’s ruling was not to be taken lightly, Barbara Dunn was finally able to say yes to many of the couples who had come to her before seeking equal treatment under the law.
As Rachel Maddow explains, Barbara Dunn knew that she would become a part of the historical record. She had been frequently photographed turning same-sex couples down and now would undoubtedly be photographed as she was finally able to say yes. With that knowledge, Dunn chose to make a sartorial statement that would stand out and speak volumes without saying a word, one that also perhaps tells us what this moment meant to her. On the day she was allowed to marry same-sex couples, Dunn “wore the brightest pink for the occasion”, personifying “history in full color” as Maddow said. Referring again to the above photo she added,
“You can see that she smiled a little bit, but not too much. Future generations will want to know that this moment mattered.”
Watch the emotional video below:
