New London — Kelly Thompson, the executive director of Alliance for Living, ended a toast Friday with a few simple words: “love wins.” 

The words were met by cheers at All Souls New London, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Jay Street, where nearly 50 people gathered to celebrate Friday’s Supreme Court decision ensuring same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states.

The group was a mix of activists, well-wishers and members of the LGBT community.

“Thirty-six years ago, I came out and this wasn’t even on the radar,” said Judy Schiavone of New London. “It’s just amazing how things have changed, not enough, but this is a day for celebration.”

The event was co-sponsored by OutCT, the Alliance for Living, the local PFLAG chapter and All Souls New London.

"Unitarian universalists have been working on this issue for decades," Rev. Carolyn Patierno of All Souls New London said.

People of faith and a coalition of activists throughout the country have worked hard for this, she said, and it is an "encouraging and special day for all of us that all relationships will now be honored and respected and given the dignity and legal protection they deserve."

Patierno said the church already performs marriages for same-sex couples, and it puts "joy in our hearts knowing the state and federal government will put legs underneath the religious ritual we offer to couples."

Priscilla Newell, 86, of Groton said she was stunned and excited by the ruling. Newell said she was with her partner for 30 years in Vermont before moving to Connecticut. He partner died of cancer about eight years ago.

“I never thought in my life I’d see this day. It’s all moved so fast. For years it was so closeted,” she said. “It’s a wonderful day.”

Ean Oliver, a member of the U.S. Navy, married his partner just last week in Niantic where he is a member of Niantic Community Church. Oliver said that, like others in the military, he had worried, however unlikely, about being assigned to a state that did not recognize marriage among same-sex couples.

He suspects Friday’s Supreme Court ruling led to a collective “breath for the whole military.”

Tim and Kathy Duggan of Norwich said Connecticut was still on the cusp of approving gay marriage when their son came out at the age of 17. The couple is a member of PFLAG, formerly known as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, which meets regularly at the Noank Baptist Church.

“You can’t be a parent of a gay kid and not pay attention to what’s going on,” said Kathy Duggan, in tears. “The country has come a very long way. In theory, by law, my son can now get married anywhere in the country. At the end of the day, it’s really about love.”

Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio also fought back tears as he stood with his husband, Todd, and told those gathered, “everyone matters equally.”

Finizio said when he and Todd met a decade ago there was “no legal recognition whatsoever for our relationship."

“It didn’t seem like this day would ever come. This morning, at last, it arrived,” Finizio said. “Today a great step forward was made for LGBTQ Americans in their right to get married. In a broader sense, it’s a step towards a better America where everyone is treated equally with equal justice under the law.”

"We live in the greatest country in the world, not because we are an ideal society, or a perfect union, but because we have an amazing capacity to bridge our differences and expand our definition of equality," he added.

Full equality has not yet arrived for everyone, Finizio said, but the day should be celebrated in recognition of “how far we’ve come.”

All Souls was not the only local church to celebrate the court’s ruling.

"Our church for many years has seen that part of our understanding of the Bible is that God is really encouraging us always into faithful and joyful loving relationships. We've seen for a long time that those relationships include same-sex relationships," said the Rev. John A. Nelson of Niantic Community Church, which is part of the United Church of Christ and United Methodist Church.

"We’re very glad that the Supreme Court has now extended recognition of loving, mutual relationships, and a lot of us would just say the Supreme Court is slow to recognize what God has been recognizing for a long time," he added.

State Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, a Republican who serves the 41st General Assembly District in Groton and New London, said he attended Friday’s gathering to support constituents that included Mayor Finizio.

Bumgardner said while the national Republican Party may express frustration with the Supreme Court ruling, he and other younger Republican legislators feel it should be a right for two people to marry if they love each other.

In high school, Bumgardner said one of his best friends had same-sex parents.

“Just seeing the love they expressed for her was telling,” he said. “Her parents are really great people and they deserve to be able to live together and be recognized by our government as a married couple.”

Also, on Friday, several Connecticut officials, including the governor, U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, Congressman Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and Attorney General George Jepsen, released statements in support of the ruling.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who directed the LGBT pride flag to be flown above the governor's residence in Hartford, said that while the state has recognized same-sex marriage since 2008, the Supreme Court decision means "that our residents cannot lose their marriage rights while traveling from state to state."

“Today’s decision marks a historic moment in U.S. history and reaffirms everything that this great nation stands for — equality, liberty, and justice for all," he said in a statement. "It’s a day that Americans across our state and country can celebrate."

State Comptroller Kevin Lembo also issued a statement, which like Finizio's had a personal element: "What has been apparent to so many for so long has now been affirmed by the court: the premise that all people are equal and share the same rights and responsibilities," he said. "This decision provides me with personal relief that — no matter where I travel across this great nation of ours — my marriage will be recognized."

"This victory follows years of determination, effort and countless hours of legal work," he added. "I'm grateful for those whose shoulders we stand on today. This is the just and right decision."

Courtney said in a statement that the Supreme Court ruling "is an historic step for equality, fairness, and civil rights in our country, and we celebrate alongside the millions of people who have worked tirelessly to build a groundswell of public support over the past decades. This is a landmark decision that places the court and the country on the right side of history — the side of equality and love."

Blumenthal stated that "This ruling reaffirms why we are the greatest, freest nation in the history of the world — because we respect every individual’s equal right to liberty, no matter where they live, who they are, or whom they love. Today will go down in history as momentous for all Americans, making our nation an even brighter beacon of hope and opportunity for all."

k.drelich@theday.com

Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich