There is a double New Year celebration brewing in Maryland, as that state will begin granting marriage licenses to all couples starting on January 1.
GLAAD is lifting up the stories of couples in Maryland. One couple we are highlighting is Boe Ramírez and Germán Roa, of Rockville. Boe and Germán will not be standing in line this New Year's Eve to be one of the first couples married on January 1. They have been open about their wishes to marry one another, but wish to make their wedding a special family affair. Boe shared their thoughts about getting married with GLAAD:
We do have a tale to tell and it goes beyond hospital rights and legal papers. Marriage for us is the celebration of our love with our family. It's saying we want all of you to see who we are and what we mean to each other. Yes, legal rights and hospital rights are important, but celebrating who we are is just as important. Or at least to us it is. Germán planned such a huge proposal for me, and a long engagement with wedding planning yet it seems no one wants to talk about that. I get the people who dropped to their knees as soon as the law passed, but my boyfriend wanted to wait for a dinner, with music and a surprise ring.
Boe and Germán have been twice featured in the Washington Post, once for their work with Latino organizations working to pass Question 6, and once after Question 6 passed, as they look forward to wedding planning. They want people to understand how important the commitment of marriage is for the two of them.
About eight months ago I was let go from my job for being gay. I was told "Boe, government contracting is a straight, white, male, Republican, conservative, Christian business and if they don't accept you then you have to go". I am working with Freedom to Work and have so much more of a battle to go. This directly impacted my health mentally, physically and emotionally. Most importantly, this is what led Germán to decide to get married. You see, he felt that if we go through these tough times together, we are stronger than ever. He has been my strength in every way through a horrible ordeal. And he ultimately felt the one thing that was missing was a spouse status to show how their actions impacted us as a family, how because he loves me and is committed, that he is part of this fight and for me our happiness is all that matters. I was worried that he would be disappointed in me and he assured me that it was for good times AND bad and until death-do-us-part.
Boe and Germán’s story is more than a romance story. It’s more than a story about hospital visits and living wills. It is a story about sticking together through the celebrations and the difficult times. It is a real story that people need to hear. If you are getting married in one of the newly minted marriage equality states, GLAAD wants to hear from you. Please share your story here. And help GLAAD share 1,000 more in 2013.