We’ve had lots of good days during the past five years in Washington, D.C. But one of the best was September 26, 2010, the day we legally married each other. More than one-third of states in the United States now give same-sex couples the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples, but D.C. was one of the first. When its same-sex marriage law went into effect in 2010, we decided that after seven years together, it was time to make our commitment to each other legal.
Our wedding was a small affair, but very meaningful. We got married at the hotel where we’d spent our first Valentine’s Day together many years earlier. The flowers and music were beautiful, and the food was wonderful. Best of all, we were surrounded by our relatives and friends, including all of our parents, many aunts and uncles, Chris’s brother, and Melissa’s nephew. Perhaps sweetest of all, Melissa’s 80-year-old grandmother traveled more than 500 miles to celebrate with us.
Same-sex marriage is still controversial in many countries and in parts of our own. But that day, we felt surrounded by love and support, as we slipped matching rings onto each other’s fingers and promised to love and care for each other throughout our lives.
