You’ve probably already seen the photo above — which has been shared thousands of times on Facebook — from the first day on which same-sex marriage licenses were issued in Washington state. The photo was snapped by Seattle photographer Meryl Schenker and shows Larry Duncan, 56, and Randy Shepherd, 48, as they apply for a license in the King County Administration Building at about 1:30 a.m. And guess what? SeattlePI.com reports that Duncan and Shepherd are originally from Dallas:
Originally from Dallas, Texas, they told Schenker they moved to Washington 7 years ago because it was more gay friendly.
The soft-spoken couple from North Bend, who have been together for 11 years, finally reached the front of the line about 1:30 a.m. As they took an oath in front of a representative of King County, Schenker captured the simple moment with a master’s eye. She said that as part of documenting the event, she was looking for a picture that would challenge stereotypes.
When told today that the photo was being shared on social media and starting to appear on national blogs, they both laughed. “That’s just who we are,” said Shepherd.
It’s too bad Duncan and Sheperd weren’t happy in Dallas (granted, the Pacific Northwest may be a better habitat for bears!), but congratulations to them anyway from the folks back home.
For more of Meryl Schenker’s photos from the first day of marriage licenses in Washington, go here.
