Jack Baker and Michael McConnell
Advocates of marriage rights for gay couples / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Richard John Baker[5] and James Michael McConnell[6] are the first same sex couple in modern recorded history[7] known to obtain a marriage license,[8] have their marriage solemnized, which occurred on September 3, 1971[2] and be legally recognized by any form of government.[9][10]
Jack Baker and Michael McConnell | |
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Born | 1942 (age 81–82) (both) |
Known for | First same-sex couple to have been married[1] legally,[2] followed by others from Minnesota, elsewhere in the United States and several countries. |
Michael McConnell | |
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Born | James Michael McConnell (1942-05-19) May 19, 1942 (age 82) Norman, Oklahoma, U.S. |
Education | University of Oklahoma (1968)[3] Norman High School (1960)[4] |
The couple met in 1966. On March 10, 1967 – Baker's 25th birthday – McConnell agreed to be "his lover"[11] but only if it meant "a commitment . . . for the long haul," living openly as a married couple.[12] That commitment continued long after "52 Years Since Same-sex Marriage Milestone".[13]
On October 15, 1971, the Minnesota Supreme Court in Baker v. Nelson affirmed a court clerk's refusal on May 22, 1970[14] to issue them a marriage license in Hennepin County for the sole reason that it would undermine "the entire legal concept of our family structure in all areas of law"[15] (despite this not being identified in Minnesota law[16] as a reason for prohibiting such a marriage). Their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in October 1971 was accepted[lower-alpha 1] but later dismissed on October 10, 1972. Though the "precise issue"[17] was not disclosed, their marriage contract, lawfully obtained but never invalidated,[8] affected the decision.