On Dec. 13, 2014, we did something that's illegal in 14 states—we got married.
We live in Chicago. We have supportive families and friends. We've never been made to feel uncomfortable or ashamed of our love or our sexual orientation. We walk down the street holding hands. We kiss in public. We refer to each other as "my wife" at work and when talking to people we meet for the first time. We never think twice about it.
We are lucky for all of that. We are lucky to live in a community and be surrounded by people where our love isn't any different.
Had gay marriage not passed in Illinois, we still would have stood up in front of the people we love and made a commitment to each other. No state, country or governing authority can tell someone who they can and can't love, but having our marriage legally recognized provides us protections we would have otherwise been denied—protections we would not have received just seven months earlier.
Last year, when Illinois was debating the bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in our state, we, like many of our friends watched it live as it streamed online. We were surprised by how emotional it was to hear the arguments for equality and how ... dehumanizing it was to hear the arguments against it.
For many people, marriage equality isn't a debate. It's just right. But it's important to keep in mind that there are people out there actively fighting against it. People who don't believe that two people of the same sex can support each other, love each other or even raise a family together. People who don't believe that they should have the same protections that any other couple has. People who are actively preaching that a family should disown a brother/sister/son/daughter rather than accept, support and love them. Even in Illinois, where the bill ultimately passed, 21 senators voted against it.
Twenty-one people out of 59 went on the record as saying that our love is inferior and does not deserve equal rights and protections under the law.
There are states who feel so strongly about this that they are taking their fight to Supreme Court this summer.
We both wanted to share with everyone what they are fighting so hard against: http://vimeo.com/117874688.
Thank you so much to everyone who has been a part of our lives. Again, we are so lucky to live in an area of the country where we can be ourselves and feel loved and supported doing so.
We are both confident that with the Supreme Court ruling this summer, the rights and protections that we are now able to benefit from, will become accessible to all people across the United States.
Love is love,
Robyn + Michelle Lytle
