BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — Couples across America, including the Kansas City metro, say the Senate’s decision to pass the Respect for Marriage Act Tuesday feels like a victory.
“It’s a long time coming, you know, and I think that to legitimize it is a nice thing,” said Tina Rodriguez.
Rodriguez and her wife Robin Smith tied the knot last year in Colorado after budding their lives together for 17 years. They met in 2000 while working in healthcare together and decided to make it official in 2004.
But knowing there is a chance that right could be overturned by the Supreme Court is a genuine concern.
“Like with Roe v. Wade … It’s destructive to so many people, and so many people that have gotten married, and whether the state recognizes it or the government as a whole recognizes it, in the end, it’s not for you to judge," Rodriguez said.
Smith believes there should always be a separation of church and state, especially when it comes to who people love. In the last couple of years, she has married multiple gay couples after becoming an ordained minister to help her two friends get married.
She is grateful for the sacrifices of those who paved the way for marriage equality.
“Afraid, basically they are afraid. I mean there were times where if you were found to be gay, or whatever, you could be jailed,” Smith said. “We deserve the same rights as everyone else.”
Lee's Summit resident Judy Bishop says marrying her wife Peggy Heldstad was the best thing she ever did. They have been together for almost 30 years since their Halloween-themed wedding.
“I look at us and I look and think, 'Thank heavens, they finally passed a marriage act.'" Bishop said. "Why not? What is everybody so afraid of?”
Growing up in the 40s was difficult as a lesbian woman. She says she kept her sexual identity private while serving in the Army and being married for 15 years to her husband Steve. They had two children together.
“I’m still, to this day, afraid to tell people,” Bishop said.
All three women say the most important thing they want others to understand is just how much they love their partners. When it comes to love, they just want acceptance.
“It’s about time,” Bishop said.
