Love may have won, but it came with quite the wait.
Meet Jack Evans, 85, and George Harris, 82.
They have been together for a whopping 54 years, and were finally able to cement their love as the first gay couple to wed in Dallas, Texas, hours after the Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage in all US states.
They met at a house party in 1961, and have been together ever since - though only revealed their relationship to friends and family 20 years ago.
The two activists, who have spent decades fighting for LGBTQ rights, tied the knot on Friday at the city courthouse in front of cheering (and very teary) supporters.
"A lot of our friends went out of state or Canada to get married, but being Texans we wanted to hold out for Texas," Harris told Fox4 News. "I said,' well, I hope we live long enough'."
And see the day they did.
After SCOTUS decision, Jack Evans and George Harris get their marriage license: http://t.co/mNcycYEh5Z pic.twitter.com/04SZsgOxZn— D Magazine (@DMagazine)
June 26, 2015
"Ten years ago, this was not even imaginable. Had little hope it would ever come to Texas, still shocked that Texas is allowing it today," Evans said.
Evans walked down the aisle with the aid of a cane, a rainbow flag tucked in lapel, while Harris carried red roses as they left the ceremony.
The pair was married by Judge Dennise Garcia, a friend and member of their church.
Dozens of other same-sex couples wed in Dallas that day, after judges in the county waived the required 72-hour waiting period between licences issued and ceremonies taking place.
In the historic Supreme Court decision, the court ruled 5-4 that the Constitution's guarantees of due process and equal protection under the law mean that states cannot ban same-sex marriages.
Despite the monumentality of the day, the couple still found humour in their situation.
"Do we get a senior discount?" Harris joked with staff while getting a wedding licence. "Best $90 we ever spent."
"Is this when you kiss the bride?" Evans asked after the licence was handed over by a county clerk.
"You're jumping the gun a little bit," Harris replied.
In an interview with CBS last year, the couple described the fear of living as gay men in the '60s, with police sting operations rife around the country.
82-year-old George Harris and 85-year-old Jack Evans were the first same-sex couple married in Dallas. #LoveWins pic.twitter.com/4r9VXhadkR— Nathaniel (@QuirinoNathan)
June 26, 2015
"The police set up a party afterwards," Evans said. "Once everybody got there, the police backed up a paddy wagon and arrested 29 people before they could get out the back door or hop out a window. [They] published their names in the Dallas Times Herald the next day, on a Sunday morning. Every one of those guys had to leave the city."
When asked about honeymoon plans, Harris said he was going home for a nap, The Dallas Observer reported.
"Love rules," he said. "I hope we can let the conservatives see us and know we are not a danger to society."
After wiping away tears following the ceremony, Evans summed up the ruling perfectly, telling the Dallas Morning News: "Everybody wins. Nobody loses."
Congratulations both!
