Sneak Peek: Vermont

Two years ago today, Pat & Stephen kicked off their cross-country "wedding tour" with nuptials in Vermont. They couldn't have imagined that by now, New York, Washington, Maryland, and Maine would join the marriage equality map. Here's a clip to celebrate their anniversary.

Sneak Peek: California

In honor of our upcoming CA screenings, here's a brief clip from the movie.

Married and Counting Wins Two Awards in Rhode Island

Pat Dwyer and Stephen Mosher at RIIFF

On Saturday, Married and Counting premiered at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. In the post-screening Q&A, eight-time groom Pat Dwyer said he had two hopes for the movie: that it could help people on the fence on same-sex marriage see that "our love is like your love, and we come in peace," and that it could send a positive message to young people.

The film seems to have reached both goals for Rhode Island jurors. Married and Counting won the Ambassador Award for promoting "communication, education, and cultural understanding," and the Youth Jury Award for Best Feature.

We are honored by the awards, and by being included in such a wonderful festival.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to Stephen and Pat, whose most recent wedding was one year ago today. After 25 years together, the grooms have been traveling the country to get married in every state that will let them.

Tonight is also the opening night of the Rhode Island International Film Festival, where Married and Counting will have its world premiere on Saturday, preceded by the British short film, Rufus Stone.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New documentary, Married And Counting, follows two men who get married in every state they can

Premieres at the FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival on August 11, 4pm, at The VETS, 1 Ave of the Arts in Providence.

After almost 25 years together, Pat Dwyer and Stephen Mosher loaded up a van with a dozen of their closest friends and took to the road for a destination wedding…several destinations, and several weddings. They were embarking on a "slightly zany, low-budget, cross-country adventure" (The New York Times) to get married in every state that would let them.

Their journey is documented in the film Married and Counting, narrated by George Takei (Star Trek) and directed by Allan Piper (Starving Artists). While the film deals with one of the most hotly debated political issues of the day, and images from it have been included in a recent Obama campaign video, it is not a political film so much as the love story of two men on a remarkable adventure.

The festival is offering discounted admission for couples, “regardless of marital status.” Piper and the grooms will be present for Q&A.

Next stop, Rhode Island

Pat Dwyer, Stephen Mosher, and director, Allan Piper will be present for Q&A when “Married and Counting” makes its world premiere at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, Aug. 11, 4pm, 1 Ave of the Arts in Providence. The festival will be offering discounted admission to all couples, "regardless of marital status."

World Premiere!

We are delighted to announce that Married and Counting will have its world premiere on Saturday, August 4th at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. The Ocean State has been wrestling with marriage equality for a number of years. We hope this film can contribute to the ongoing public debate. Check out our entry in the festival program.

Congratulations, Barney Frank & Jim Ready!

This weekend, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) became the first member of Congress to marry a same-sex spouse. We were honored to show Married and Counting to the Congressman and his then fiancé, Jim Ready at a sneak-preview screening in May. We wish them both a lifetime of wedded bliss.

News: Tumblr

Married and Counting now has a Tumblr. Share your own wedding pictures and stories. Comment on the movie. Write messages to the grooms. Argue for or against marriage equality (civilly). This is your forum. Make something of it. MarriedAndCounting.tumblr.com

Sneak Peek: Stephen's mother on faith, family, love, and her gay son

Married and Counting will premiere this summer on the festival circuit. Check back for more details soon.

M&C Blog: Equality & Faith in the State of Washington

Six months after Pat & Stephen’s New York wedding, Washington became the next state to legalize same-sex marriage. The law was scheduled to take effect today, however opponents successfully petitioned to block it. Marriage equality instead will be subject to a public referendum in November.


Rep. Drew Hansen, a freshman Democrat from the 23^rd Legislative District voted for the bill. 

Not long after the February vote, Rep. Hansen took a few moments to speak with the director of Married and Counting.

As a new member of the House who’s running for reelection in the fall, how politically risky was your vote?

Our district is very divided, just like the rest of the country. We had a couple town hall meetings a few weeks ago with a lot of people upset about this vote. There is a not insignificant number of people in our district who disagree very strongly with this vote. What that will mean at election time, I couldn’t tell you.

Those who oppose same-sex marriage typically do so on religious grounds, but you said your faith helped lead you to vote for the bill. What did this vote mean for you as a Christian?

The church is very divided on this question. It has divided denominations. It has divided individual congregations, and it is not the case that all Christians think alike on this.

One of my son’s Sunday school teachers from our church came up to my wife on Sunday and said she totally agreed with what I said on the floor, that it was the first time someone articulated what she as a Christian felt about marriage equality.

There are a lot of Christians who think that same-sex couples who make the same vow of fidelity, commitment, and permanence are no less entitled to the sacramental nature of marriage than a straight couple. 

There's an effort underway to overturn the law before it goes into effect. Do you see that happening?

It's too soon to tell. It looks like the opponents of the new law will gather enough signatures to put it on the ballot, so I hope we'll have a respectful, civil debate in public on this issue through November, just like the respectful, civil debate we had in the House. 


As more states come onto the marriage equality map, Stephen and Pat are going to continue traveling to get married in them. If the law is allowed to stand, will you come to their Washington wedding?

I’d love to. That would be really fun. 


UPDATE: Since this interview, at least one promised major donor has withdrawn his support from Rep. Hansen's reelection campaign because of his marriage equality vote. You can find out more about Rep. Hansen and his campaign at http://www.drewhansen.com/

Sneak Preview: Maine

This weekend, Congressman Barney Frank and his fiancé, Jim Ready viewed a special sneak preview of Married and Counting in Ogunquit, Maine. Although the movie is not quite finished, the Ogunquit Rainbow Film Festival invited us to be part of an evening to support Maine's marriage equality ballot initiative, which voters will decide on in November. We are honored to have had the chance to support equality in Maine, and to share our film with a champion of human rights. 


The finished movie will premiere in August. Stay tuned for details. 

Stephen & Pat are in the President's new video

Pat & Stephen are among the couples featured in President Obama's new video, narrated by Jane Lynch and edited by Allan Piper

M&C Blog: An Evolving Nation

Married and Counting begins with a quote from Dennis Kucinich, who endorsed marriage equality in 2004 as he sought the Democratic presidential nomination. At that time, such a radical position was too far outside the mainstream for anyone but a fringe candidate.


Less than a decade later, the President of the United States has said "I think same-sex couples should be able to get married." Mitt Romney (who supports a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage) described the President's change as "flip-flopping." He might as well have leveled that charge at the American people as a whole. As a nation we have changed our minds from overwhelmingly opposing same-sex marriage just a few years ago, to favoring it now by a small margin.


President Obama's "evolving" position is in keeping with the evolving position of Abraham Lincoln on slavery, or JFK and LBJ's evolving positions on civil rights. The great champions of equality haven't been people born with ideas ahead of their times. They've been people who arrived at those ideas through personal growth, and convinced the nation to grow with them. 

26 Years, 8 Weddings, 1 Big Love Story

APRIL 26, 2012- Twenty-six years ago today in Denton, Texas, Pat and Stephen became a couple. Last year, to celebrate their quarter-century of love, they undertook a "wedding tour,"traveling the country to get married in every state that would let them-- an undertaking which was expected to end with their April 26, 2011 wedding on the steps of the Supreme Court.

Today the journey is still going, both because the grooms have resolved to continue their matrimonial road trip as more states join the marriage equality map, and because Married and Counting, the film that documents the first year of their endeavor is almost complete.

Tomorrow, there will be a sneak preview of the nearly finished film at Appalachian State University. It is part of an event to raise awareness of North Carolina's upcoming vote on Amendment One, which seeks to create a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, civil unions, and even domestic partnerships. Ordinarily, we would not screen a less than final version of the movie, but the opportunity to be part of the Amendment One debate goes to the heart of why we made the film.

We hope to soon announce the official completion of the movie, and the date and location of its premiere. In the mean time, we wish a heartfelt congratulations to Stephen and Pat on their 26th anniversary.

Sneak Preview

There will be a special sneak preview of the nearly finished movie this Friday at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, as part of an event to raise awareness of the upcoming vote on Amendment One, which seeks to create a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships in North Carolina. Although Pat and Stephen cannot attend the screening, they have this message for the viewers.

We embarked on this romantic journey (that continues and will continue as more states get themselves right with the Lord) as a celebration of the love we've shared for 25 years.

We want to say to all free thinking citizens everywhere, but especially to you North Carolinians, that the end of marriage discrimination is at hand. This Genii is never going back in the bottle. If Amendment 1 should pass, take heart, because it will not stand. The tide is sweeping us all toward Equal Justice Under Law; it must for it always has. No matter the set backs, we the people move triumphantly forward to the broadest definition of freedom for the greatest number of people.

The question is often asked "What is PRIDE and why do gay people need so much of it?" Well pride is not only the feeling of being Proud; proud of oneself, proud of accomplishments, proud of facing one's responsibilities. Pride is also the absence of shame. Gay citizens stand together now to say, "We are not ashamed." We have nothing to be ashamed of so we will have the pride and the rights as citizens that American Freedom promises us.

It was our fondest wish to be there with you for this screening and we are sad circumstances did not permit it. But know that we are behind you all 100% in the fight to stop Amendment 1 and we will add our voices to yours at every turn possible.

Stay strong, get the word out, get out and vote and keep loving each other with all your might and all your PRIDE!

PatnStephen

George Takei Joins Married and Counting

We are delighted to announce that George Takei has come aboard Married and Counting as our narrator. We welcome him as an honorary member of this great big, traveling wedding party.

M&C Blog: Is Roy Blunt's Bill a Backdoor Attack on Same-Sex Marriage Rights?

This week the Senate is expected to vote on Sen. Roy Blunt's "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act." The bill purportedly is aimed to exempt religious institutions from providing health coverage for contraception, however it actually goes far beyond religious institutions and beyond contraception.

The bill's broad language would allow any employer (religious institution or not) "to decline coverage of specific items and services that are contrary to the religious beliefs of the sponsor." Opponents of this legislation have focused largely on its impact on women's access to preventative care. However, since the bill allows exemptions for any services that conflict with the employer's religious beliefs, it also could allow employers in states where same-sex marriage is legal to deny health coverage to same-sex spouses of its employees.

The Missouri Senator proposed the measure as an amendment to a highway spending bill currently under debate. The amendment is expected to be defeated.

Happy Valentine's Day

A year ago on Valentine's weekend, Pat & Stephen got married in Massachusetts. As a wedding present, they received an ice-skating lesson. Here's a sneak peek.

Sneak Peek: California

In honor of yesterday's ruling on Prop 8, here's another sneak peek.

Happy Anniversary, Iowa

One year ago today, Pat and Stephen were married in Iowa. Here's a sneak peek from the movie.
http://youtu.be/OvujASKL7xU

In 8 years, a long distance traveled

"We have to understand that in this world two people can be deeply in love, and that if they have that kind of commitment they should be permitted to be married.

Now, to say that you've got to go from state to state to achieve that right absolutely vitiates who we are as a nation."- Congressman Dennis Kucinich, January 6, 2004.

Eight years ago, when Congressman Kucinich was running for President, his pro-marriage equality position put him far outside the mainstream. Although his description of a couple having to "go from state to state to achieve that right" seems to describe a multi-state journey like Pat and Stephen's, in January, 2004 there were no marriage equality states to go to. When Massachusetts became the first, later that year, most of the country was shocked that any state would allow same-sex marriage.

Less than a decade later, support for marriage equality has gone from being a wild, fringe position to a mainstream view. Six states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage. More Americans now support equality than oppose it. A growing number are shocked not that there are so many marriage equality states but that there are so few. On Monday, Gov. Chris Gregoire will introduce a bill to make Washington the seventh state.

Like any extended road-trip, the state-by-state progress of marriage equality often feels agonizingly slow, but it's nice to look back and see what a tremendous distance we have already traveled.