On marriage equality

First of all, congratulations to the US Supreme Court for securing a majority vote on marriage equality. This has been a long time coming and the ‘land of the free’ has just got freer – in this area, anyway. Not everyone wants to get married, but at least now, the choice is there.

A few years ago my mother hosted a gay wedding at her house for two Texan friends. They could have gone to another US state where it was legal for them to marry, but they chose to go to Canada. From the photos I’ve seen, it was a wonderful day for them. (My mother gives a great party!) For these two men, who had lived together for forty years, they didn’t think they would live to see the day when marriage equality would come to Texas. But now they will be able to do it all over again and celebrate in their own home.

When we knew that in December 2014 we would be able to convert our Civil Partnership to a marriage, Anne looked at me one day and said, ‘I guess we could get married.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, okay.” Romantic, huh!

We didn’t tell anyone – just went to the Registry office and filled out the forms. The registrar was a tad disappointed. I think she was hoping for at least an exchange of rings or a kiss. We shook hands with her and went home to commemorate the day with a glass of champagne (it was only ten o’clock, but you have to do these things!) At first we didn’t think we would feel any different. But it does feel different – a completion somehow.

We have been together for 28 years and although we didn’t think we needed a ceremony to validate how much we love each other, it is a great feeling to know that, in the eyes of the law, our relationship is valid. So, with no wedding photos to share, I rooted out this picture of me from 28 years ago, when the romance was blooming, like the flowers…in a time when marriage equality wasn’t even a future prospect.