The right to marry is not a requirement to marry

Over 100,000 same sex couples in the US agree. Starting in 2014, same sex couples were legally able to marry in Pennsylvania. Lots of people did. Not everyone did. When I share my story (domestic partnerships since 2006, married in 2021) – the first thing people say is “Why didn’t you get married right away?” […]

Happy Two Year Crowdiversary. What an awkward way to acknowledge an awkward situation.

On this date in 2023, my friends Melissa and Diane helped me to get this crowdfund started It was a Saturday morning after an anxious night. I had called RESOLVE to ask for their assistance getting my prescription medications from my home – I was still homeless, staying with friends at that point. So I […]

Yesterday, My Friend Created a Venmo to Support My Legal Fund

My friend has long stayed away from online currency accounts. The few times I needed to send $$ to her, I sent it to her son’s PayPal. So I was quite surprised to get her note that she had successfully set up a Venmo account and sent me $20. Sure enough, there it was with […]

On this day in 2024, I came home after six months of being homeless. And now I need your help.

While not the Ides of March, today is auspicious – marking one year since I returned to my home after 6+ months of homelessness. This is an important milestone because I worked really hard to make it happen (with a lot of help, of course) and because almost no one thought it would. I was […]

But I want you to know, after all these years … honoring my 21st anniversary

The world of queer relationships and queer anniversaries is complicated by the states decades of oppression of our rights to simply create a family with the person we love. For those who came of age after 2015, it may not make much sense. The queer anniversary is a complicated dynamic. We have a lot of […]

Snacktime in the Meadow of Love: My Third Wedding Anniversary

Today is the third anniversary of my wedding. Yet, I am alone at my friends’ home and assume my wife is at work. Happy anniversary! Yesterday, I looked at our wedding album, reread the newspaper coverage of the wedding, and – even though I was sad – I remembered how happy and excited I felt […]

So Guess Who Found An Entire Archive of Domestic Registry Documents in the Basement?

So … guess what was found in the basement of the City-County Building? Yes, all of the Domestic Partner Registry affidavits. No copies kept anywhere else and they only went looking b/c someone (ahem) raised a stink. So now we have 16 days to complete the rest of the process. Things we’ve learned 1. Repositories […]

Vote on PA “Marriage Amendment” Delayed

Tuesday AM. The Pennsylvania House Committtee on State Government was scheduled to vote on HB 1434 which started the ball rolling on a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage. etc etc etc. Today, that ball didn’t go anywhere. Again. Debate on the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions was put off until a dateTBD. The […]