Eli Burick, a former office manager for WIndy City Times, wed his longtime partner Rodney Young in a ceremony in Iowa Sept. 13.
The couple met Dec. 7, 1985. "Later Eli would say he loved me from the moment he saw me," Young said. "I on the other hand was a little more difficult. We began dating one another exclusively and he eventually won my heart, but I never dreamed this was the first phase of what would become a lifelong committed relationship, a lifelong love story.
"On Nov. 29, 1986 we entered into a Sacramental Marriage in the Episcopal Church. We had a fairly small ceremony consisting of the actual marriage ceremony and the Communion service. There were better than 100 guests and we had a dinner reception, lots of hugs and good wishes. But the marriage was not 'legal.' Thus we began the second phase of our lifelong love story.
"Time moved so quickly and all of those years our one wish was for recognition of our Sacramental Marriage, primarily by the federal government of our country. That became possible after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned [a section] of DOMA and the IRS and Dept of Treasury recognized same-sex marriage no matter where the couple lived, the only requirement is that it is a legal marriage. We have been talking for months about having a civil wedding ceremony. So, we did it yesterday. We are now entitled to all the same benefits AND obligations as heterosexual married couples. And we have now began the third phase of our lifelong love story as two legally married men. We have no idea where phase three will take us, but we know we are making the journey together and if this part of the journey is as wonderful as the 1st 28 years ( and we know it will be ), then it's going to be a hell of a wonderful ride!"