Sealed with a kiss

For the past few months, Jeffrey Lee Epperson has been planning to get married. Tuesday he had a ceremony, but the union he wishes to have cannot be legally binding.

On Oct. 7, Epperson and his partner, Nathan Ray Aiken, performed an imitation wedding in the Student Union Building to inform students of the discrimination they believe the government has enacted against same sex couples.

“I believe in the cause,” Epperson said at the reception. “I believe we deserve the same rights as anybody else. I don’t believe anyone has the right to say who gets what and who doesn’t.”

The service was held in a traditional manner with the couple exchanging personal vows and a passionate kiss. Over 50 onlookers were present to share cake and congratulations.

“I was kind of nervous,” Epperson said, despite his and his new partner’s congenial smiles.

Presently, only one state allows same sex marriage, three honor a domestic partnership status and four recognize a civil union between same sex couples.

“Hopefully people will understand there’s no difference between our love and what legislature considers love, what society deems normal,” Epperson said.

“This is not just legislation, this is not just a debate, this is not an issue. These are people’s lives,” Ro Parker, Cultural Center coordinator, said. Parker said the intent of holding the event on campus was to raise awareness to the fact that homosexual people in the Boise community also have civil rights well beyond free speech.

“The event really humanized the topic for a lot of people in attendance,” Parker said.

Expectations of protestation were not met and the event went as fluidly as planned.

MATT ALMEIDA
Arbiter Journalist

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