Joy of the Month: Marrying Chuck and Tony

By Supervisor Joel Engardio

Thank you Chuck and Tony for asking me to officiate your marriage. It was my first as an elected official. It’s meaningful because gay people weren’t allowed to marry for most of my life. The prospect was impossible when I was a kid. Now I’m marrying gay couples. Love won. 

Chuck and Tony lived well into middle age in a society that said being LGBTQ meant shame, persecution, and no hope of equal treatment. Much of their generation died from AIDS. They are survivors. Their marriage is a testament to the power of perseverance.

I held this history, while asking them to repeat their vows, in the City Hall where Harvey Milk was murdered. I could see Chuck and Tony’s tears. And the tears of their witnesses. I willed myself not to cry. But my voice choked when I pronounced them spouses for life.

We were all smiles when it was done. So much to celebrate. I wish Chuck and Tony many golden years together. 

Officiating weddings is a special responsibility and a joyful part of my job. I look forward to marrying more couples.