Ivy Hill and Misha Gibson: Participants in the WE DO Campaign who are requesting a marriage license at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 in Greenville, SC.
Our story is serendipitous, really. It seems that our paths would cross for a few years before we actually connected when the time was finally right and we were both really ready to have the kind of relationship that we have today. Our passion for equality is what brought us into each other’s lives in the first place. I was asked to speak on a panel about gender issues and gladly accepted the opportunity. Misha just happened to be in the audience that night. It really was one of those things where you see someone from across a crowded room and you can feel the chemistry immediately. We didn’t speak that night, and weren’t even introduced (even though a mutual friend had tried to set us up about a year before that).
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A few months after that panel I got another chance to talk about bullying and suicide in the LGBTQQI community, and wouldn’t you know that Misha was asked to speak on the same panel. I have this cheesy analogy that often pops up when I talk about equality. See, I love mayonnaise! The really cool thing about it is that two of the main ingredients are oil and water. How can that be? Oil is non-polar and water is polar so we know that they can’t mix. But, they have eggs in there too. The eggs act as an emulsifier and allow the oil and water to come together to make this wonderful substance called mayonnaise. That’s our job, to be more like the eggs. Through community activism, standing up and using our voices with love and not hate, we are able to be more like those eggs, bringing people together and facilitating educated discussions on issues like the WE DO Campaign. Well, turns out Misha likes mayonnaise too. It was a few months after that before we ever actually went on our first date, but it was definitely worth the wait!
I have dreamed of the day I would get married for a long time. All I want is to have the same rights that our heterosexual counterparts are allowed. I want to be able to make a legal commitment to the person I love that is recognized in our state regardless of our gender. We are both very passionate about equal rights and believe in being the change you want to see in the world. We will continue to stand up and use our voices for full and equal rights for all people regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation until that equality is realized.
– Ivy Hill and Misha Gibson
