On Friday, an estimated 1,800 people crowded into the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City to show their support for marriage equality. Participants called on anti-gay Governor Gary Herbert to let stand a December 20 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Shelby that struck down the state's constitutional marriage discrimination amendment. They also delivered a pro-equality petition to Herbert's office containing 58,000 signatures.

The rally came on the same day that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the federal government will recognize all legal same-sex marriages performed in Utah.

The highlight of the rally came when 12-year-old Riley Hackford-Peer, who has two moms, took to the podium alongside his younger brother to talk about their moms, their family, and what it meant to him to see them legally married in Utah:

"When I was in the first grade, I heard on TV that same-sex couples could get married in Iowa, so I begged my moms to drive us to Iowa so that they could get married there. My moms explained to me that the marriage would not be legal here in Utah, and that they could get married only when they do it here. "Some people do not believe that I'm from a loving family because my moms are gay. They are wrong. I love my moms, and my moms love me and my brother unconditionally... "At school we talked about things we'd hope to see during our lifetime. I always said I imagined my moms getting married in Utah. On December 20, it happened -- I saw my moms get married in Utah! It felt like fireworks bursting in my heart."

Watch Riley's beautiful speech, after the jump.