On the afternoon of May 20, 2014, a federal judge struck down Pennsylvania’s Defense Of Marriage Act, bringing marriage equality to same-sex couples in the Quaker State. I went down to City Hall in Philadelphia to photograph some of the couples who had gathered to apply for the licenses they were finally able to receive and asked them to share their favorite thing about each other.
After 5 years, Lindsay and Ashley married the first minute they could, at midnight on Friday.
Ashley and Lindsay wrote down their favorite thing about each other and showed each other.
Then shared with me.
Because of the mandated waiting period, couples only got blank licenses to fill out during the actual marriage ceremony, but that meant Joe and Steve could show off their form without revealing personal information. Yay! How could a piece of yellow paper be simultaneously the least and most exciting thing ever?
They’re both flight attendants. Really.
I loved when Alnardo couldn’t stop looking at Anthony.
William and Paul couldn’t stop smiling at each other either.
More license show-and-tell.
There was a rally that night.
Bill Slimback and Bob Sullivan, the first same-sex couple couple to marry in Vermont, were there celebrating!
Here’s a close-up of Bill’s sign
“Which number should we use?” “Put them both!”
I was an equal-opportunity photographer.
City Hall had late hours the next night. They set up chairs for couples to sit in while they waited to be seen by a clerk.
Business as usual for most of the day.
Michael and Don did an excited interview after they applied.
They both took this pretty seriously
“Dennie, that’s not how you spell kooky!”
Then people got off work, and the room started to look like this:
At 6:06, the line went out the door.
“Can I write something sassy?”
Justin and Adam had a mini-reunion with friends.
“We’re not supposed to show each other, right?” “Right, not yet.” “OK.”
Hey!
No peeking!
Great minds think alike!
Sharon and Leann at the clerk’s desk.
Ta-da! Thanks, Philly! Congrats to all the happy couples I photographed and the many more I was not able to. I’m sorry I missed Pride!
theirfavoritething 
where are the pictures from the HRC gala night ?
Hi John! I had a minor panic attack after I was kicked out for soliciting when I thought I’d lost the files, but I found them in another folder. I’m renaming things now and hope to have the HRC photos up by the end of the weekend. Sorry for the delay!