Just Married!

[Allan Brauer]

Allan Brauer and Norberto Laboy-Brauer are pleased to announce that we were married on Tuesday, June 17, 2008. The ceremony was performed at the Sacramento County Clerk's office, with Norberto's sister Sandra Laboy and our close friend Michael Valdez as witnesses.

In lieu of gifts, we ask that our friends and family honor us by making a donation to Equality California, a PAC devoted to GLBT rights. All funds collected from this campaign will be used to fight the ballot initiative this November that will define marriage as between one man and one woman. They have established a wedding registry to make it simple to donate in our honor. We are listed as "Allan Brauer and Norberto Laboy-Brauer" so you will find us very close to the top of the list.

We have posted an online gallery of photos from the event here.

The day was perfect for a wedding. Beautiful blue skies and warm temperatures welcomed us downtown, where dozens of couples waited on line for their turn to complete applications, receive licenses, and in many cases, have a civil ceremony performed on the spot. The wonderful people of the clerk's office extended their hours to accommodate the pent-up demand of local couples on this, the first full day of marriage equality in the state of California.

Sacramento's Mayor Heather Fargo performed four ceremonies to show her support. Many friends and supporters also turned out to cheer the newlyweds, while across the street, a small number of protestors held signs denouncing us and shouted their hateful speech through a bullhorn. The police did a wonderful job keeping the peace.

Another young couple, who decided at the last minute to marry, had no appointment and couldn't be served, so an attorney agreed to preside over their ceremony in front of the clerk's office. Because they had come without planning ahead, they had no rings for the ceremony! So we agreed to loan them our rings and stand as their witnesses as TV news cameras captured the event.

As we waited, a reporter approached Norberto and asked if he is Hispanic, as he writes for the Spanish-language newspaper published by the Sacramento Bee, Vida en el Valle (Life in the Valley). We agreed to be interviewed for the paper, and he and his photographer followed us through the morning as we completed our applications and the wedding ceremony. UPDATE: Vida is a weekly paper and now that the article has appeared I have updated the above link to the article about us. And here's an image of the front page.

At last it was our turn, and deputy commissioner Wanda Harling solemnized our marriage. It was a powerful and emotional moment for us. Neither of us ever dreamed that the day would come in our lifetime when we would be able to be legally married in the United States. For Norberto, the moment was especially poignant as he thought of his late Uncle Manny, who met his partner Joe in the Navy and stayed together with him until death parted them, but never knew the joy of legal recognition and acceptance for his love.

After drying our eyes with hugs all around, it was our turn to walk out the building and hold our license high as the assembled crowd cheered us. Members of a local Unitarian Universalist Church congregation turned out to form a rice brigade, showering us with their love as we left.

We adjourned to a nearby restaurant, Lucca's, for a champagne toast and lunch. Here is Allan's toast:

"What does this moment mean to me?

To me, it’s all about family.

We are joined here today by our sister Sandra, who represents our birth families. And we are joined by our good friend Michael, who represents our chosen families.

Our birth families are not chosen by us. We are born into them, and they are, and always will be, part of our lives. Sometimes these families struggle to understand us and even reject us, and sometimes along the way the relationships break, but we are family nonetheless.

Our chosen families are the people of like minds and common experience, in whose eyes we see a reflection of the people we are. Our personal life journeys may take us many places and wherever we go, we form such families for support and encouragement. Sometimes along the way the relationships break, but we are family nonetheless.

Today, for the first time in our lifetimes, we have been given the opportunity to make a new family.

I have chosen you, Norberto, and your blood family, to unite with me and my blood family, and to expand our chosen family. Today, the state of California merely confirms what our hearts already know, that we two have become one. And the new family we form by our marriage is enriched and improved by our choice.

'We are a family, like a giant tree, growing stronger, growing wiser. And we are growing free.'”

[Christi Demuth]

Wow! I can not believe I missed this until now. I found this by googling you after your warning today.
Congratulations! How great, I am thrilled for you both. Take care of each other.

[Jenny]

Congratulations! Thanks for sharing this.

[waterprise2]

Congratulations to the Happy Couple!
As a PFLAG Mom, I can't wait until my daughter and her partner get married! They live in Austin TX, but hoping to get to CA soon!
Luckily for our whole family, everyone is accepted just as they are by all members of her birth families.
It's always been that way!
Thanks for sharing this with us!
Best wishes forever and ever!

[Jay in SE WI]

Wonderful news! Congratulations!

[James Rizzo]

Congratulations! And thank you for sharing with your post.

[Andres]

Congratulations!

[Dems to Win]

Congratulations!

Here in Sonoma County, the clerks also stayed late (of their own accord, no overtime pay) to marry all the couples who wanted to do so on the first day. Lots of pics of beaming couples and clerks in the local paper.

I'm happy it was a great wedding day for you. Best wishes.

[dewberry]

Terrific! Thanks for the pics. It's been a happy week.

[Suzy]

The first Fieldhands wedding (that I know of!) blessings & congratulations! What great smiles- your joy is wonderful - makes me smile too!!!

[Janey Laird]

WooHoo! Excellent! So glad to get the details and pictures of a wonderful moment for the whole country (and I guess for you two guys also....grin).