I took this photo in front of the Statehouse in 2003 during a Constitutional Convention of the Massachusetts legislature. Same-sex couples had recently been granted the right to marry in Massachusetts–the first state in the country to do so–via the Goodrich decision that had been handed down by the Supreme Judicial Court. Opponents of equal marriage rights were trying to get a question on the 2004 state ballot to amend the constitution. If passed, the amendment would strictly define “marriage” as an institution held between “one man and one woman.” While the legislature met to decide whether to allow a question on the 2004 ballot pertaining to amending the constitution, hundreds of same-sex marriage supporters and opponents gathered inside and outside the statehouse to let their voices be heard. I stumbled upon this man as I was documenting this historical event via photographs. This photo captures how some misuse religion to oppress (or try to oppress) others. He is pushing the bible in my face; his expression is smug. He, and what he represented, scared me. This photo (although not my best, as it is fuzzy) is important to me because it reaffirms the importance of the strict separation of church and state. (by Sharon Winston)
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