Plaintiff Couples in the Washington State Marriage Lawsuit: Andersen v. King County
Published 07/25/06
Heather Andersen and Leslie Christian
Heather Andersen, and Leslie Christian, of Seattle, are both successful businesswomen and have been together for nearly 16 years. They exchanged rings 11 years ago and would have married then had the law allowed it. Although the couple has drawn up mutual wills and arranged their finances jointly, they still worry that in cases of medical emergencies or even death that their wishes for one another may not be respected. Heather says, “While marriage by itself would not prevent an individual’s homophobia, it would give us the security of knowing that our government recognizes and protects our commitment to one another.”
| Johanna Bender (left) and Sherri Kokx (right) with Quentin & Zachary |
Johanna Bender and Sherri Kokx
Johanna Bender and Sherri Kokx, 35, of Seattle, have been together for nine years and are the parents of five-year-old Zachary and one-year-old Quintin. Johanna is a middle school science teacher and Sherri is an attorney. Johanna says that marriage would help get rid of many financial burdens because same-sex couples have to pay extra fees to be able to will their pensions, life insurance policies and retirement benefits to each other. “I believe in the law,” Johanna says. “The law should respect my relationship with Sherri, and the family we’ve created together...I would like to know that my relationship is endorsed not only by my friends and family, but my home state.”
| Janet Helson(left) and Betty Lundquist (right) with Zara & Tyler |
Janet Helson, 44, and Betty Lundquist, 50, of Seattle, have been together for 14 years and have two children, Tyler, 10 and Zora, 5. Janet is an attorney at a private law firm and Betty works at the Fremont Public Association, a community focused non-profit. They first met in Nepal, on a “five week long first date” trekking through the terrain. The couple says, “we both feel like being able to get married would give Tyler and Zora clarity about our relationship and how it is the same as the relationships of other friends’ married parents.”
| Peter Ilgenfritz (left) and David Shull(right) |
Peter Ilgenfritz and David Shull
Peter Ilgenfritz, 44, and David Shull, 47, of Seattle, have been together nearly 20 years. They were the first same-sex couple to be married in a religious ceremony at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Chicago and are both pastors at University Congregational United Church of Christ in Seattle. They have officiated many marriage services for both heterosexual and homosexual couples. Peter remembers a reflection he wrote about the denial of the couple’s marriage application in King County. He says, “that day and my reaction afterwards revealed to me how essentially the issue is one of basic civil rights.”
| David and Michael Serkin-Poole |
David and Michael Serkin-Poole
David, 52, and Michael, 50, Serkin-Poole, of Seattle, have been together 24 years and have three adopted developmentally disabled adult children. David is a Cantor at Temple B’Nai Torah where he has married many couples and Michael is a stay-at-home dad. The couple says that through advocating for people with disabilities and their own gay rights, they have “developed a strong definition of family: people who love each other unconditionally, no matter what.” They have yet to enjoy a commitment ceremony, even though they have purchased two gold wedding bands. “...The rings will remain in their boxes, locked away in a drawer, until we can be legally married among our friends and family, in our own community here in Washington.”
| Vegavahini (left) and Mala Nagarajan (right) |
Vegavahini Subramaniam and Vaijayanthimala (Mala) Nagarajan
Vegavahini Subramaniam, 41, and Vaijayanthimala (Mala) Nagarajan, 38, of Seattle, have been together seven years. They came from the same community in South India but met for the first time in Washington. Vegavahini is the Executive Director of Chaya, an organization that provides services and advocacy for South Asian women. Mala works as a business systems analyst for AT&T Wireless. The couple celebrated a Hindu wedding ceremony four years ago. Vegavahini says, “heterosexual friends have asked us why we care so much about securing the right to marry legally...We have to point out to them how many basic legal protections we do not have, and how vulnerable we feel as a result.”
| Elizabeth Reis (left) and Barbara Steele (right) |
Elizabeth Reis and Barbara Steele
Together for more than 28 years, Elizabeth Reis, 54, and Barbara Steele, 63, of Seattle, have four children, are grandmothers to 13 kids, step-grandmothers to four and have two great-grandchildren. On August 15, 1977, the couple pledged their lives to one another after Beth proposed to Barbara. The couple notes many practical reasons for why they want to get married. They recall the memory of Beth being denied access to the neonatal intensive care unit after their granddaughter’s premature birth and the feeling of indignity they had after having to declare themselves “unmarried persons” on all the paperwork for the purchase of their house. They say, “it felt like a lie, but it was legally accurate.”
| Michelle (“Monst*r”) Esguerra(left) and Boo Torres de Esguerra |
Michelle (“Monst*r”) Esguerra and Boo Torres de Esguerra
Michelle (“Monst*r”) Esguerra, 29, and Boo Torres de Esguerra, 28, of Seattle, have been together for six years. Although they were friends in high school, it wasn't until they ran into each other in downtown Seattle in 1999 that the two began to fall in love. The couple currently lives in Shoreline in a home they purchased together four years ago. Monst*r says, “I consider Boo to be my wife. In August 2001, Boo took on my last name and we made vows to one another...we also registered as domestic partners with the city of Seattle in April of 2002...Marriage will create a stronger sense of permanence between us.”
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