Love and Activism

Will your ceremonies be at courthouses?
We’re going to have
ceremonies at courthouses. We didn’t do it in Iowa and we will not do it
in D.C.. The rest will be at courthouses.

What has been your
favorite part of the tour so far?
I think the time I spent in
Plymouth, Mass., and also in Philadelphia, being a tourist, and
appreciating the work of our forefathers and the struggles and
challenges. It's been a very patriotic experience for us. It kind of
inspires us to be American.

How has the trip made you feel
more patriotic?

Often skeptical and
cynical about our post-9/11 views regarding patriotism, we embarked on a
remarkable journey of love, activism, and patriotism. During our
multi-state marriage tour, we reconnected with something that we thought
we lost, our appreciation for this country. More specifically, we
gained a profound respect for our forefathers and their extraordinary
vision of a new world of freedom, equality and democracy. George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, the
pilgrims aboard the Mayflower were all radical activists!

Have
you had any awkward moments when you were applying for marriage
licenses?


[Laughs] Every single one of them. The country
is just working their way through it right now. It's very awkward. I
don't know if I can put it in words. It's just different. Right now,
going to a court house as a same-sex couple is different, it's awkward
and you get a sense that something new is happening and the employees
aren't quite sure what to do. We've been treated very well, we've been
treated with respect. They've all been very kind but there is this
unspoken awkwardness going on.

Do you think it's because its
something new or is it a product of a disagreement they have?
I
think it’s more because its something new. I think ultimately people
don't care.

Why are you going on this tour?
The main
reason we’re doing what we’re doing is in protest of the Defense of
Marriage Act. Until DOMA is repealed, regardless of where we are married
and where we aren’t married, we still return home without 1,000 civil
marriage rights. We’re really doing this to bring awareness and until
DOMA is repealed the marriage tour doesn’t really mean anything.

I
would argue what you are doing is significant.
It’s definitely
significant to us. We’re going to return home to Nevada and have no
rights as a married couple, not one. It feels like my country treats me
like a second class citizen. It pisses me off actually. [Laughs]