In Their Own Words: Love Always Wins!

Story and Photos By Dr. Maria A. Glover-Wallace

Two kids, a dog, a white picket fence, and a Volkswagen – what a dream! This dream along with brown Barbie dolls and roller skates were my obsession. I was determined to master skating backward with no success. My Barbie dolls never had a Ken doll — no surprise — and there were no Volkswagens in my neighborhood like the Volkswagen Bug on television. However, I did master the art of loving the things and people I love with passion. Fast forward and I was married with five kids, a cat, a dog and a minivan and met the woman of my dreams. She was the Ken to my brown Barbie, and I knew my life would never be the same.

A wonderful friendship turned quickly into love for me. Divorced and two grandkids later, I was walking down the aisle with my soul mate, Cynthia. How we got to this place of love, laughter and super grannies is debatable, but the one constant is we agree LOVE WINS! We are approaching our 10th Anniversary of marriage after jumping the broom when gay marriage became legal in Illinois. Illinois became the 16th State in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage and that year was filled with joyous celebrations and ceremonies. We were all excited to Live Out Loud!

Over the last 10 years of marriage, we have witnessed the struggles and continued the fight for LGBTQ+ equality and Queer Joy across the globe. We are proud to say we are in the fight, working with grassroots organizations to make a difference, donating our time and talents to social justice causes that impact our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren. Our advice to all married, almost married, and loving couples – keep pushing! Love Always Wins!