ALJ Alum's Photo With Girlfriend Goes Viral After DOMA Decision

Clark native and 2011 Arthur L. Johnson alum Sharon Burk and her girlfriend decided to head to the Supreme Court steps Wednesday morning to await the decision on the Defense of Marriage Act – hours later, a photo of the pair embracing was attached to headlines across the globe announcing it had been struck down.

"It’s just crazy to think that I was deciding last minute to go — we went back and forth deciding whether to go like three times — and the fact that just going and being there, we could be a part of something that big," Burk told the Star-Ledger, reflecting on how her photo became attached to the historic decision against the law denying federal benefits to married gay couples.

Burk, an American University student spending her summer as an intern in D.C., told the Ledger that CNN reporters interviewed her and her girlfriend, Molly Wagoner, moments before the decision was announced. The day after their photo went viral, Burk and Wagoner headed to the Newseum, where they took photos of the headlines attached to their image, according to the report.

Reflecting on the landmark decision, Burk noted that there is still work to be done when it comes to gay rights.

"But that doesn’t mean we can’t take this as a victory," Burk told the Star-Ledger. "I think it also gives legitimacy to everything we’re doing."