Freedom to Marry staffers share their own marriage stories from this year
September 10, 2014
As the momentum for equality for same-sex couples continues to multiply in 2014, staffers at Freedom to Marry who work on marriage each and every day have been sharing significant moments of their own when it comes to marriage. This month, one of our staffers married in New Jersey, and another team member in Oklahoma got engaged. Here's a look at 5 Freedom to Marry team members celebrating their own personal marriage moments this year:
Scott Davenport & Brad Dodson
Freedom to Marry's Chief Operating Officer Scott Davenport married his partner Brad Dodson this weekend, September 7, at their home in New Jersey. The couple got engaged earlier this year when Scott dropped to one knee during a performance with the New York Gay Men's Chorus and asked Brad, before an audience of hundreds, to marry him. At the wedding, Freedom to Marry founder and president Evan Wolfson presided, officiating the ceremony and helping Scott and Brad pledge their commitment.
Amanda Snipes & Kate McLain
This weekend, Amanda Snipes, a Marriage Coordinator with Freedom to Marry and Outreach and Communications Director with Freedom Oklahoma, got engaged to her partner of five years, Kate McLain. Earlier this year, Amanda wrote a moving op-ed for Time Magazine, voicing her hope that by next summer - if the Supreme Court were to rule in favor of marriage for same-sex couples, she and Kate would be able to marry at home. "Equal protection under the law for gay couples may be possible today in Oklahoma because of the Stonewall legacy and the four courageous individuals who filed a lawsuit challenging our state’s unconstitutional marriage ban a decade ago," she wrote, referencing Bishop v. Smith. "Without the vision and grit of Mary Bishop, Sharon Baldwin, Gay Phillips, and Sue Barton — the possibility of legally marrying my fiancée — in our home state — next year would not be possible."
Sarah Moeller & Steve Senft
Sarah Moeller, Freedom to Marry's Development Manager, is marrying Steve Senft on September 20th. The couple met in high school in 2001, and have been together since 2009. After celebrating on Long Island with their loved ones this month, they are off to Munich for Oktoberfest followed by relaxation in the Alps.
Jake Loesch & Abby Michaud
Jake Loesch, the campaign manager for Southerners for the Freedom to Marry, our public education program launched this year in partnership with 16 state and regional southern LGBT organizations, will marry his fiancé Abby Michaud this fall. The couple lives in Minnesota, where they have each made their mark on local issues they care about, with Jake formerly serving as Communications Director of Minnesotans United for All Families (the campaign to defeat an anti-marriage constitutional amendment at the ballot and subsequently pass a marriage bill) and Abby working as Director of Operations at the Economic Club of Minnesota.
Jennifer Cabrera & Kitoh Grey
This summer, Freedom to Marry's Database Coordinator, Jennifer Cabrera, married Kitoh Grey in New York City. After their engagement this spring, Jennifer explained on Freedom to Marry's blog, "There's something really special about being able to gather our family and friends and celebrate our commitment to one another. But it's not lost on either of us that we're lucky to be able to get married here in New York and to have that marriage respected when we go to my home state of Arkansas or anywhere else. Many of the people we'd like to invite to our wedding don't have that security, and frankly, it's unfair." You can see more beautiful photos of Jennifer and Kitoh HERE.