Same-Sex Marriage in South Carolina – the One-Year Anniversary
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Many same-sex couples are celebrating their first wedding anniversary, one year after South Carolina allowed them to legally wed.
Last year, ABC News 4 followed several same-sex couples to the courthouse, as they legally married for the first time. On Thursday, Shane Landrum spoke about the day he and his husband, Tony Beard, finally felt equal.
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“Saying ‘your husband‘ is super weird,” Landrum said. “It takes some getting used to. I mean, I still trip over the word.”
Two signatures and $70 later, their union was made official on Nov. 19, 2014. Despite a decade together, Landrum said the piece of paper does make a difference.
“People treat you differently.The word ‘marriage,‘ the word ‘husband,’ it means so much more in society’s eyes than the word ‘partner’ or ‘boyfriend,‘” Landrum said.
He still holds onto several letters from the court system, which tells the story of a couple denied and later, accepted. Their marriage certificate is still formatted for a bride and a groom.
“That‘s why I‘m saving them,” Landrum said. “I mean, not for me, I‘m happy to have them, but I‘m saving this because there will be a period where this will be in a museum where society’s homophobia was challenged and overturned.”
Their marriage not only marked a change in society, but for the culture at his work, as well. He said initially, his husband could not be added to his health insurance because of their same-sex orientation. But after his boss saw their story air on ABC News 4, that changed.
“Next day at work, he called me at 8 a.m and was like, ‘Shane, I have to apologize to you. I had no idea this was happening in our company. You‘ve made changes for everyone. Tony now has healthcare. Today,'” Landrum said.
He said the right to marry has made their commitment to each other stronger. But their wedding day is still in the works.
“(It‘s) really expensive,” he laughed. “Yeah, weddings are super expensive. So, yeah, that’s in our future.”
Photo and video courtesy of ABC News 4
