Local Couple Competes in Freedom2Wed Contest
In celebration of the passing of the same–sex marriage law in Washington, D.C., Freedom2Wed, an exclusive group of the top wedding vendors in the metro area, is offering one lucky couple the wedding event of a lifetime in a nationwide same-sex wedding contest. Darin Henderson and Carl Cox (North East D.C. residents) were chosen to be one of the six finalists from hundreds of entries.
Now through online voting, the winning couple hopes to represent the District of Columbia to receive a complete wedding package that includes wedding rings, attire, ceremony, invitations, decorated reception location, catering for 150 guests, elaborate table settings and flowers, photography and video services, specialty lighting, live music and professional event coordinating.
Darin Henderson & Carl Cox — Together 4 years
“We realized early on that while individually imperfect, our strengths complement one another," said Darin. "Couple that with the love we share…we are twice as strong. But at long last, as the direct result of decades of activism and a groundswell of community support, we feel blessed, grateful and are thoroughly excited to be engaged and preparing for marriage…right in D.C.!”
Emboldened by the U.S. District Court's ruling just hours before that struck down Proposition 8, the annual Equality Federation Summer Meeting kicked off on August 4 at the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards. Around 100 people representing 50 state-based lgbt organizations from around the country attended the 5-day event.
August 4 may have been President Barack Obama's birthday but Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling from the bench of the U.S. Federal District Court, Northern California District, was the real present to marriage equality activists. In an historic and sweeping decision, Judge Walker, in the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, declared that the amendment to the California Constitution barring marriage for same-sex couples, adopted in November 2008 as Proposition 8, violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process. It marked the first time a Federal Court took up the issue of same-sex marriage.
