Traveling through Marriage
Kalil & Karin, Venice
Getting down on one knee and proposing to my fiancee was a magical moment for me. We were celebrating our anniversary at a beach house in Mexico, and I got to surprise her with a proposal. At that moment, all I could think about was how happy I was to have found my soulmate, and how excited I was to spend the rest of my life with her.
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Karin and Kalil
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As a transgender man dating a woman, I hadn't fully considered how my transitioning would affect our relationship. As we began talking about our wedding further, however, it started to dawn on us that we would be able to have a legal marriage, despite some complications, now that my ID says 'male' while hers says 'female'. This realization was a shock at first, as both of us had though that marriage might never be a possibility for us.
It was also surprising to realize how much it meant to us personally, and especially to our families, that our marriage would be legally recognized. Our families' joy at learning that our marriage would be legal stemmed from them worrying about the challenges facing us in building a family together as an LGBT couple. Knowing that we have the built-in support structure that comes with marriage has eased their worries about our future together and helped them be able to support us whole-heartedly, and without reservations. Much like me, they understand marriage to be about building a strong foundation with a partner so that we can raise healthy, loving children together.
This ability to be part of a family is something that everyone deserves, while excluding someone from marriage is like excluding them from being part of a family. I know how important family is to me, and to so many other lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, and that we all deserve to be treated fairly, even if people have different beliefs. Date Created: 12/6/2007
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