The 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision that made marriage equality the law of the land was life-changing for hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ+ families. The historic ruling, in Obergefell v. Hodges, granted every American the freedom to marry, and afforded same-sex couples and their children equal rights, benefits, and protections.
As the five-year anniversary of this historic ruling approached, Family Equality brought together two LGBTQ+ families in Texas to explore what marriage equality means to them. Their stories are shared in our inspirational Out in Texas series.
In episode four, Jaymes* and Cheralyn share their journey to becoming parents, first exploring IVF before then trying to get approved as adoptive parents to children in need of a family. After facing discrimination at multiple agencies, they became adoptive parents to siblings London and Duke.
Watch the episode below:
*Since the filming of Out in Texas, Jaymes has become the President & CEO of Family Equality. In 2023, they changed their name to Jaymes Black.