Terminally-ill gay man and his partner get their wedding

Incredible story which needs more attention:



According to John Becker of Bilerico:

John Arthur and Jim Obergefell have been together for more than 20 years. When the Supreme Court struck down the heart of the Defense of Marriage Act last month, they decided that they wanted to marry. But there were two major problems: the couple lives in Ohio -- which has a constitutional marriage discrimination amendment that makes same-sex marriages illegal -- and John is bedridden with a debilitating terminal disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which progressively robs its victims of voluntary muscle function.

John receives care from Crossroads Hospice, which gives its patients the gift of a "perfect day." . . . all John wanted was to finally be able to marry Jim, the man he loves.

As soon as the Supreme Court gave the green light to federal recognition for legal same-sex marriages, the couple began researching where they might be able to marry. Because John is immobile, they had to find a state that would allow Jim to obtain the marriage license by himself, then return with John for the wedding after the requisite waiting period.

They settled on Maryland, which allows just one partner to obtain the marriage license.
But the cost of such a trip was an additional barrier. While Crossroads Hospice was able to cover some costs, including the ambulance ride to and from the airport, the journey required the use of a special medical transport plane wide enough to fit John's stretcher. Chartering this kind of plane costs $12,700.

So Jim reached out to their family, friends, and social networks, asking if anyone "had any connections." But instead of responding with connections, people responded with cash: donations poured in, and the couple collected enough to cover the cost of the plane.

And all of that led to the scene above where the two were married on a Lear Jet, by Arthur’s aunt, Paulette Roberts, who’d been ordained to perform weddings. She performed theirs.

It's a scene and something to remember the next time one hears the mumbo-jumbo pushed about by the National Organization for Marriage and its supporters regarding the true meaning of marriage.

I don't think anything I say can do the video proper justice. Just watch.

Hat tip to John Becker of Bilerico and Towleroad.