Marriage: a new fight.

When The Advocate featured a cover story on the battle for same-sex marriage rights nearly a decade ago, it was a just-emerging issue. "Perhaps the most amazing thing is that, five years ago, it was hardly an issue at all," wrote then-Advocate staffer John Gallagher. That changed in 1993, when Hawaii's supreme court considered a lawsuit by three gay and lesbian couples seeking marriage licenses. By the time The Advocate's cover story hit news stands, the U.S. House of Representatives had passed the Defense of Marriage Act and the issue was beginning to dominate the gay rights debate. Paula Ettelbrick, an attorney for Empire State Pride Agenda in New York, said, 'M/hat I hear overwhelmingly from people is, Why is it suddenly the issue?' They say, 'I still have friends who are dying and friends who can't come out on their jobs.' If marriage is the number I issue, we fall into a dangerous trap in terms of keeping our movement focus[ed] on a range of discussion."--D.R.