Christmas and 2013 are right around the corner, but before we jump into the New Year, let’s take a look at what a fantastic year 2012 turned out to be for marriage equality. Although, heartbreakingly, North Carolina passed Amendment One, the outrage and disappointment across the nation inspired President Barack Obama to voice his support for same-sex marriage, one of the most celebrated moments in presidential history. Happily not following in N.C.’s footsteps, Maryland, Maine and Washington voted successfully for marriage equality. Minnesota also reached for equality, rejecting a state constitutional amendment defining marriage between a man and woman. And if that wasn’t enough, the first annual National Marriage Equality Day, a grass-roots movement provided by Equally Wed was a massive hit!
Besides all the wonderful legislation and activism, some of our favorite LGBT celebrities tied the knot this year. In case you missed them, here are 11 celebrity weddings from 2012.
Popular talk show hose and TV personality Rosie O’Donnell married her fiancée Michelle Rounds in secret in June. Their marriage, originally set to be in August, was quietly quickened when Michelle was diagnosed with desmoid tumors, a rare disease. Rosie suffered a heart attack in earlier in the year, but we wish them both a healthful new year.
MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts married his sweetheart of 12 years, Patrick Abner, in late September. Thomas was the first cable news anchor in history to come out, and their exchanging of vows also made history in the cable TV books. But if these two cuties getting married wasn’t enough, another wedding was announced as they celebrated …
Sam Champion, weather anchor of Good Morning America, announced his engagement to his partner, photographer Rubem Robierb, at Thomas and Patrick’s wedding. They plan to wed in Miami on New Year’s Eve, ending 2012 with a bang and bringing in the New Year with lovely nuptials.
These two lovebirds have been engaged since 2009 and finally tied the knot in May. Cynthia Nixon, former Sex and the City star, and Christine Marinoni wed in New York City. The couple has a two-year-old son, Max Ellington Nixon-Marinoni.
Stunning model Harmony Boucher and web designer Nicole Bettencourt took the plunge in August. In a lovely ceremony in East London, the two exchanged vows under the columns of Shoreditch Town Hall. In true high fashion, the two wore stunning black outfits to the reception full of friends and family.
New York hosted a lot of weddings this year, including that of singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and Jorn Weisbrodth. The pair, who have been together for five years, were engaged in 2010 and have a two-year-old daughter, Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen.
One of the most notable weddings this past year was Democratic Representative Barney Frank and Jim Ready. Their marriage was the epitome of history: Barney was the first sitting congressman in history to marry someone of the same sex while in office. The two, 72 and 42 respectively, wed in Massachusetts in early July.
On June 30th, Chris Hughes and Sean Eldridge, both in their late twenties, exchanged vows in Garrison, N.Y. Chris, co-founder of Facebook, has been with Sean, founder of Protect Our Democracy, since 2005 when they met through college friends.
Mary Cheney and her longtime committed partner, Heather Poe, tied the knot in Washington, D.C., in June. Mary, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, lives with Heather and their two children, a son and daughter, in Virginia.
The last couple of the year is Alan Cumming, movie star featured in X2 and GoldenEye, and Grant Shaffer. The couple was previously married in 2007 in England, but felt that they wanted to exchange vows in America as American citizens. They tied their American knot on their fifth wedding anniversary.
Notable fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi announced his marriage to Arnold Germer in early January. They actually eloped and tied the knot on November, 30 2011 at New York City Hall. But since the announcement wasn’t out until 2012, we think they’re worth mentioning.
Photo: instagram.com; animoto.com; ABC News; people.com; Fiona Garden; people.com; New York Times; Facebook; people.com; twitter.com; The Wendy Williams Show
