SAN FRANCISCO -- After last month's historic Supreme Court ruling against the Defense of Marriage Act, one San Francisco city supervisor is celebrating in her own way -- by finally reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Jane Kim made headlines after she was elected in 2011 when she refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of Board of Supervisors meetings.
Kim, 36, who told The Huffington Post she has not recited the pledge since high school, would rise, but would not say the words, objecting to the final clause.
"I don't believe we are a nation with liberty and justice for all, yet," Kim told the San Francisco Examiner at the time. Kim, a civil rights attorney, said that much of her work was motivated "by wanting to be a part of achieving that ideal."
Kim's pledge refusal has been criticized by some and praised as patriotic by others.
But on Tuesday, the first board meeting since the Supreme Court ruling, Kim proudly stood and recited those 31 words.
The DOMA ruling "is a huge step forward in terms of our civil rights," Kim told The Huffington Post. "It was really a moment to celebrate."
Kim tweeted about the decision before stepping into the meeting:
While Kim noted that the nation certainly still struggles with social injustice, it was her perceived injustice in legislation that moved her to refuse to say the pledge.
"The Civil Rights movement played a huge part in removing inequity from the letter of the law," Kim said. "When I first made the decision not to speak the pledge, both DOMA and Don't Ask Don't Tell were on the books. Seeing both of those struck down has really created a moment to celebrate."
The next step for Kim? Battling social inequality through education.
"The work still continues," she said. "And I remain committed to that cause."
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