It was the so-called Winter of Love in San Francisco. The mayor at the time, Gavin Newsom, had directed the county clerk to approve gay marriages even though there was no law on the books recognizing them. His act of rebellion prompted a bipartisan political backlash, but Harris had no hesitation.
“You could tell she was so overwhelmed and had so much joy about performing this ceremony," said Brad Witherspoon, whose marriage to Raymond Cobane was officiated by Harris on Valentine's Day 2004.
The moment represents a stark difference between Harris and all previous Democratic presidential nominees, who didn't begin their political careers as gay marriage supporters. Four years after the Winter of Love, the issue was still off the table during the party's primary. And it took another four years for Democratic President Barack Obama, running for reelection against Republican Mitt Romney, to back gay marriage.
For LGBTQ leaders, Harris' history validates their deep support for the Democratic nominee.
“It’s not just that she held a position in support of fundamental equality for gay and lesbian couples. A lot of politicians take positions and hold positions,” said Chad Griffin, former head of the Human Rights Campaign, who is on Harris' national fundraising committee. "Fewer actually roll up their sleeves and use their power to make lives better.”
In her book, “The Truths We Hold,” Harris writes that her decision to officiate the weddings was spur-of-the-moment. She was on her way to the airport before she decided to stop by City Hall. She and other local officials were sworn in and performed marriages in “every nook and cranny" of the building, Harris recalled.
“I was delighted to be a part of it,” she wrote. “There was all this wonderful excitement building as we welcomed the throngs of loving couples, one by one, to be married then and there. It was unlike anything I had ever been a part of before. And it was beautiful.”
