Kaiser, Emma I., author2024-12-192024-12-192024-05-13https://hdl.handle.net/10217/239737This portfolio was produced during the spring 2024 semester as coursework for HIST480A9, taught by Dr. Leisl Carr Childers. The author is an undergraduate history student at CSU's College of Liberal Arts.This oral history portfolio captures the life and legacy of Sherri S. Kaiser, a civil defense attorney in the fight for same-sex marriage rights in the United States. Conducted in Berkeley, California, on March 12, 2024, the interview reveals Sherri’s role in defending San Francisco’s issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004. Her firsthand account provides an intimate perspective on the intersection of legal strategy and personal stakes during a critical chapter in U.S. civil rights history. Sherri’s reflections also highlight her experiences as a mother in a same-sex partnership, navigating societal change and building community in the Bay Area. The interview and interpretation contained in this oral history portfolio stand as testaments to the enduring impact of grassroots advocacy, legal determination, and the power of love to transform cultural and legal landscapes.oral historylegal historyLGBTQIA+ historyBay Area historycivil rightssame-sex marriage