As Congress moves to fortify legal protections for same-sex marriage, don't forget the key role Massachusetts had in the march to marriage equality.

The first same-sex marriage I officiated was at a warm and inviting suburban home in Weymouth, MA. Two older women who had been together for many years had finally decided to join in matrimony - surrounded by their respective adult children.

It was a big milestone for them, of course. But for me also. Massachusetts holds real pioneering status when it comes to same-sex marriage. As a Boston Herald columnist in 2003 I had followed closely the landmark case of Goodrich v. the Department of Public Health - in which the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that the state Constitution required MA to legally recognize same-sex marriage.

Every marriage ceremony feels special and is an honor to be a part of. But that day in Weymouth felt like a little bit of history for me, even if it was 15 years after the SJC ruling. I've done a number of others since that. Two women in their Pembroke backyard on a cold day during the pandemic. A couple of very sharp-dressed young men from out of town who chose the main entryway to Trinity Church in Copley Square for their weekday morning marriage. And at least one male-female couple screened me for their nuptials by asking how I felt about same-sex marriages - simply because equality was important to them. The answer: I feel great about them and every other marriage I officiate as a Justice of the Peace. Nothing beats taking part in one of the best days in some other folks' lives.

Oh yeah. And it's the law.

Following the lead of Massachusetts (that's the way I see it, at least) other states began a steady march toward marriage equality not long after the Goodrich ruling. California declared marriage equality in 2008 - though there were stops and starts for several years based on additional court challenges. A watershed moment came when the Obama Administration stopped the Justice Department from defending the 1996 Defense Of Marriage Act in court. But the landmark case for the United States wouldn't be decided until 12 years after the SJC had established same-sex marriage here in Massachusetts.

"The moment for full marriage equality finally arrived on June 26, 2015, with the Supreme Court decision in?Obergefell v. Hodges.?In a landmark 5-4 decision, marriage equality became the law of the land and granted same-sex couples in all 50 states the right to full, equal recognition under the law." - Human Rights Campaign

Once a huge cultural and social-justice milestone is crossed, it's hard to imagine America going backwards - especially after a few years have gone by. But the stunningly rapid unwinding of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022 demonstrated that, yes indeed, there is a reverse gear on this nation's transmission when it comes to rolling back civil rights.

Why is this suddenly relevant now? Because some other important history has been made in recent days. First: the number of same-sex couples in America finally surpassed 1 million. About 700,000 are legally married, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, and about 500,000 others form households and family units but are unmarried.

Second: the Respect for Marriage Act - which just received U.S. Senate approval late last month - could be seen as a safeguard created in response to the previously unthinkable overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. The bipartisan strength that has been behind the Respect for Marriage legislation since House lawmakers first passed it in June is something to at least appreciate, if not marvel at.

"In 1996, I signed the Defense of Marriage Act ... I have come to believe that DOMA is contrary to those principles (freedom and equality) and, in fact, incompatible with our Constitution." - former President Bill Clinton on March 7, 2013

As I often like to remind couples as we begin their wedding ceremony: "Marriage is the public and legal joining of two souls united by love and devotion. It means entrusting your deepest self into the loving care of another. Marriage creates a new and wonderful environment in which to share your lives, standing together to face the world, hand-in-hand. It will expand you as individuals, define you as a couple, and deepen your love for one another."

Those are some pretty fundamental, yet wonderful and enriching, experiences that any couple deserves the right to enjoy together. Americans are fortunate to have that right - even if it didn't arrive for all until the 21st Century. And Massachusetts led the way in pursuit of marriage equality. That's something to feel pretty good about.

Cosmo Macero Jr. is a media consultant, an independent journalist and a Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts.