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