On Saturday morning, a crowd gathered in Austin, filled with sun-kissed faces and joyful tears, celebrating a significant milestone: the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage across the nation on June 26, 2015.
Among the attendees was Dana DeBeauvoir, the former Travis County Clerk, who addressed the couples with a poignant reflection on love and its disparities in Texas.
“Love is patient, love is kind,” she began, poignantly noting, “Except if you live in Texas, where love is a battleground depending on who you love, and who loves you.”
DeBeauvoir lauded the couples present, acknowledging their roles as “battle-tested warriors in the fight for marriage equality.”
That historic day in 2015 saw couples eagerly lining up outside the Travis County Clerk’s office, where over 400 marriage licenses were issued, some couples waiting until late into the night to commemorate their love officially.
Phillip and Justin Brady-Joyner were among the first that day, holding the distinction of being the 31st couple to marry.
Reflecting on that moment, Phillip expressed, “You just heard number after number getting called and everyone erupting into applause. I cannot explain in words how cool that moment was.”
The couple had initially planned a November wedding, uncertain if such a ceremony would even be legal in Texas by then. The announcement from the Supreme Court provided a moment of clarity.
As they watched the decision unfold on TV, they decided to embrace the opportunity and wed immediately.
The atmosphere at the Clerk’s office was electric, filled not just with couples but also allies, journalists, and even a group of high school students who brought in rainbow-decorated cupcakes.
In a delightful twist, the couple’s marriage was featured in a moving segment on Spectrum News 1, with updates sent to friends and family buzzing around social media throughout the week.
“Every nine minutes for the next week or so we would get texts from people who would say, ‘Oh my god, you just got married!'” Justin shared with excitement.
That November, they re-committed to each other in a ceremony surrounded by friends and family, dubbing June 26 their “marriage equality anniversary.”
For them, the most cherished part of that day was witnessing older couples finally realize their dream of marriage.
Trish Clifford and Lorena De La Cruz-Blackard were among those couples, recounting how they first learned of the ruling. “That morning we didn’t even have the news on,” Clifford said, reminiscing how their children broke the news to them excitedly.
Meeting in 2002, they had longed for their right to wed in their home state of Texas, despite witnessing friends tying the knot in other states.
Clifford expressed the deep significance of having their love recognized by the state, saying, “I just wanted my state to accept me.”
After over a decade together, the couple shared how receiving a marriage certificate transformed their relationship.
“It’s very different to be like, ‘No, this is my wife,'” Clifford stated, noting how such declarations solidified their bond against any doubts from others.
The bureaucratic elements of marriage, traditionally mundane, felt joyful for them now: “It was so fun to be like, ‘Yes, I need to put my wife on my insurance,'” Clifford enthused.
Ten years later, Clifford and De La Cruz-Blackard returned to the same spot where they first exchanged vows, hands entwined, embodying the love they had nurtured through the years.
As they renewed their vows, Travis County judges asked them, “Do you choose, again today, to walk this life side by side, knowing your love strengthens not only your home but the world around you?”
With deep conviction, Clifford replied, “I do.”
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