A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling made marriage legal for Jonathan and Gabriel Renteria-Elyea, but it may not have been possible without a cookie sheet left behind in 2007.
Gabriel has just moved to Kalamazoo from Los Angeles to play with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. He was holding a Thanksgiving for gay people who might not have anywhere else to go for the holiday. Jonathan dropped off desert on his way to a family Thanksgiving, and says he was taken right away with Gabriel. Jonathan left his cookie sheet so he had an excuse to go back to Gabriel’s house later.
Three years later, Jonathan and Gabriel started discussing marriage. But that was strictly ceremonial, since marriage didn’t’ legally exist for them. The two men had a ceremony with close friends in 2011. But Jonathan says in the eyes of the state “we were still considered roommates.”
After the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, they got a marriage license in Gabriel’s home state of California. Their marriage in that state provided some rights such as being able to visit each other in the hospital in case of an emergency, if that hospital receives federal money. When the Supreme Court issued its ruling on June 26th that struck down same-sex marriage bans in Michigan and other states, Jonathan was at work, watching the Internet for news of a decision. When he found out the court had made same-sex marriage legal, Jonathan says “I was so excited.”
But he couldn’t get a hold of his husband for about an hour. Gabriel did not expect the decision that day. He was out to breakfast, and did not have his phone. When Gabriel got back he found several missed calls, and was told that his marriage would be legally recognized in Michigan or any other state.
The decision means changes including both men say, bringing dignity to their marriage. There are also practical benefits. Because their marriage in California was not recognized in this state they could not get their names legally changed at the Michigan Secretary of State. They were able to change their names on all federal forms after getting married in California.
Gabriel and Jonathan have talked about adopting children. They say the Supreme Court decision makes it more likely. Gabriel says they have friends who have spent thousands of dollars on legal fees to guarantee basic rights as parents. That won’t be necessary now that the Supreme Court has said that marriage is a right extended to all couples.
