This Month’s Featured Article

Timed to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s historic Obergefell v. Hodges decision (a case in which the Supreme Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment requires states to license and recognize same-sex marriage), authors Frankie Frankeny and John Casey released LOVE: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality on April 15, 2025. The book honors the courageous couples, activists, and allies who fought tirelessly for the freedom to marry. 

Documented over two decades by acclaimed photographer and director Frankie Frankeny, the book showcases more than 100 inspiring stories of those who helped make marriage equality a reality. From the activism of the 1980s and 1990s to the groundbreaking 2015 Supreme Court victory and the continued fight today, LOVE captures both the triumphs and the challenges that have shaped the movement. 

About the author 

Frankeny started her career in fashion, but when she moved from New York to San Francisco, she quickly realized “that food was the fashion of San Francisco.” She fell in love with the city’s creative spirit and wanted to stay, so she pivoted and began doing food staging and photography for two chefs.

“It wasn’t just the food – I fell in love with the city’s spirit, its boldness, and the nurturing community I found there,” Frankeny said. “I began photographing books, I fell in love with cooking, and felt a sense of home I hadn’t known before.” 

Along the way, Frankeny began producing books, and later, found herself fighting for marriage equality after witnessing her friends’ marriages celebrated, then “cruelly voided.” 

“After seeing that joy so quickly stripped away, the pain ran deep – so deep that when marriage rights were briefly restored again in 2008, some couples, including Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, chose not to remarry, afraid of having their hearts broken a second time. Ironically – and poignantly – that decision would eventually lead them to become the plaintiffs in the case that helped overturn Proposition 8 and restore marriage equality in California,” she said. 

Proposition 8 was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage. It passed in 2008, but was later overturned by the courts. “When Hillary and Julie Goodridge won the right to marry in Massachusetts, I began to understand the fierceness of their bravery and the true power of a personal story.”

Frankeny eventually had her own non-legal wedding, followed later by a legal one. But when Proposition 8 passed in California in 2008, 18,000 couples, including her own relationship, were left in limbo, uncertain about whether their marriages would hold. That experience planted the seeds that would grow to become LOVE: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality. 

The courage to share a story that deserves to be heard 

At first, Frankeny began collecting the stories of the couples featured in the book simply because she knew they mattered. “They weren’t just stories of struggle – they were stories of resilience, of love powerful enough to move courts, change minds, and shape history,” she explained. “Over time, I realized I wasn’t just gathering memories – I was preserving a living, breathing history of our community’s courage.”

Throughout the journey toward marriage equality, Frankeny collected the stories of people who “stepped forward simply to live their lives openly.” She noted that many didn’t see themselves as activists, but merely were fighting to stay together and protect their families. 

These stories naturally reflected the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community as a whole – crossing all ages, races, religions, gender identities, economic backgrounds, and political views. While Frankeny was unable to fit every voice into the book, she is continuing to tell more stories through a serialized podcast, the JustMarried project.  

“The heart of the process – and I believe John Casey and Jim Obergefell, who also contributed to the book would agree – was to honor the courage it took for each person to share their truth, often while facing grief, fear, and enormous resistance, and ultimately, celebrate the unstoppable spirit behind it.”

When she first began, Frankeny says that she wanted to simply believe that these stories mattered. She was moved by them, so she needed to believe that sharing them could make a difference. Now, she knows that they do. She describes this book as a roadmap – not just a record of the battles fought in the past, but a testament to the love and hope that fueled those fights. 

“I hope that younger generations especially see themselves reflected here. I hope they realize that they come from a long, proud legacy of courage, and that their stories, too, are powerful beyond measure,” she shared. “This book is an invitation to remember that rights can be fragile and that it’s up to all of us to protect the dignity and love we have fought so hard to claim.” 

Paving the way for the future

Undoubtedly, the most rewarding part about putting this book together for Frankeny has been her ability to meet, bond with, and learn from so many brave and kind people. 

“All of us who worked on this project – Jim, Evan, John, Ryan, Jason, Lynn, and so many others – share a bond beyond the work itself,” she shared. “We all spent the first two decades of our lives growing up in isolation, hiding parts of ourselves, carrying that heavy silence. It was suffocating for many, and we carried it alone for far too long.” 

From the beginning, Frankeny was fueled by the desire to make sure that future generations wouldn’t have to endure the same loneliness and to ensure that “queer kids coming up behind us” would have a clearer roadmap forward. 

“Knowing that these stories will live on, that they won’t be forgotten, erased, or silenced, is a feeling beyond words. It’s a kind of healing.” 

In particular, Frankeny loves the final chapter of the book, which is titled “Getting Engaged.” The chapter invites readers to dive deeper through books, films, and other resources that continue the journey. Additionally, through their Free Book Program, Frankeny and others are working to get copies of LOVE into the hands of those who might not otherwise have access – young people, communities in need, and organizations that can nurture and empower others. 

“More than anything, I’m proud that LOVE is a celebration of the human spirit: a reminder that our love, our families, and our rights are sacred – and that they were won through unimaginable bravery,” she said. “I hope it inspires people to be courageous in their own lives. And I hope it reminds everyone that when we stand up for love, we are standing on the shoulders of heroes and offering our own shoulders to those still rising.”

Celebrating love with Hudson Home and Talbott & Arding

Hudson Home in Hudson, NY, will be celebrating the launch of LOVE: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality on Sunday, June 22, during Hudson’s Pride Parade weekend. The event will take place from 12-3pm and will be catered by Talbott & Arding, the co-sponsor of the event. Guests will have the opportunity to meet Frankeny and John Casey (and potentially Jim Obergefell and Evan Wolfson, too!) and explore the stories within the book. 

Hosting this event is personal for Hudson Home co-owners, Richard Bodin and Greg Feller, as they recall exchanging vows in a commitment ceremony at the Episcopal Church in October of 2001. 

“We vividly remember the day the New York State Legislature voted to recognize same-sex marriage. Greg was out of town and called me the moment he heard the news – to propose,” Richard recalls. “That October, on the tenth anniversary of our commitment ceremony, we were legally married at City Hall in Hudson, NY.”

The following spring, Richard and Greg filed their first joint state tax return as a married couple, a feat that would seem ordinary to a straight couple, but represented something much bigger for them. “Each milestone marked a significant step forward: first, the recognition of our relationship by our friends, family, and church; second, legal acknowledgement by our state and local government, granting us rights and protections; and finally, in 2015, full national recognition by the United States Supreme Court.” 

The stories and struggles represented in LOVE: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality paved the way for Richard and Greg’s own journey toward legal recognition. “We are now living in a time when the right to marry is once again under threat – amid broader attacks on the Queer community. This event is our way of contributing to the fight for equality and helping to ensure that human rights are preserved for everyone.” 

At the event, guests can expect a warm, inclusive, and celebratory atmosphere. The event is an opportunity to hear others’ stories, share your own, and stand in solidarity. Hudson Home will also be raising funds to place copies of LOVE in the hands of those who most need them across the country.

Above all, Richard and Greg hope that attendees leave with a sense of purpose – “that they’ve taken a meaningful step to push back against the rising tide of hate, ignorance, and intolerance. These threats are real, but we are not powerless to defend what we’ve fought so hard to achieve.” •

To learn more about the book, visit this link. Visit @hudsonhomeny on Instagram or this link to learn more about the book launch event at Hudson Home on June 22.