Exclusive: Marriage Equality Pioneers Sound Off Ahead of Supreme Court Ruling

The road to marriage equality has been long and winding, with as many set-backs as steps forward. It's thanks to the work of thousands--plaintiffs and lawyers, activists and everyday LGBT people and allies--that we've arrived at this point, but there are a number who, intentionally or not, found themselves in the eye of the storm.

As we await the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, the case expected to establish same-sex marriage across the country, Out spoke with 11 trailblazing heroes of the marriage equality movement. Some offered their reflections on the journey up to this point, while others looked ahead to the future of equality in America.

Photos via Out and Twitter/AOL