License to Wed 🤵💍

Today was an awesome day. We are getting married at the end of the month and today we went to go get our marriage license!

There have been so many feelings leading up to this day. There’s the, what I assume to be normal, feelings of excitement and nervousness planning this day.

But mixed in and layered in those are these deeply queer feelings. This incredible connection to 14 year old me who came out full well knowing I might never be able to get legally married. To 18 year old me going to my first Pride, signing every petition for marriage equality. To every iteration of me year after year fighting for that. The HRC stickers, the equality Floridia merch, the rallies, the emails, the petitions. To going out on a limb to talk to the most conservative people I knew in 2008 to vote against amendment 2. To sitting at the hospital with my mom in 2013 seeing the news about the Supreme Courts Decision in the US v Windsor Case. Down to the morning of June 26, 2015 when I cried my eyes out and texted everyone I knew that same sex marriage was finally legalized in all 50 states.

I hadn’t met my fiancé yet, that was still 2 years off. And then another 4 years before we would get engaged. But let me tell you that all these feelings and memories all came together the moment I proposed.

I hadn’t really thought about what it was like because I had never really wanted to marry anyone before. I didn’t really think about what road I had been on this whole time to get here.

When I say to our kid, “you know it’s only been legal for gay people to get married since 2015” they look at me like I have 3 heads! I was not much older than them when I came out. But I came out knowing I would have to fight like hell for an eventuality that I wasn’t sure would ever happen. But, that’s not the story anymore. It’s legal. It’s real. It’s happening.

We walked right into the clerk of courts office today and got our marriage license. Right there. Just like that.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the fact that I had a moment in the pit of my stomach “what if someone harasses us. What if the person is homophobic and says no. What if they give us a hard time.” Because that has been and is a reality. There’s never a moment I’m not aware that this change is still really new. 2015 was not actually that long ago. It’s barely a blip on the timeline. But that’s just a reality of queer culture, I’m ready at any time for something to happen. I can never completely let my guard down.

But I’m happy to report our experience was beautiful. We were met with welcoming and smiling faces, excitement, and congratulations from everyone in the office. Like they were so happy to see us there.

Today was a beautiful day. Before this month is over I’ll get to marry the woman I love.

That’s some real #ButchMagic right there. ✨🤵