Supreme Court Marriage Ruling Has Immediate Impact for East Lansing

Above: Lauren Brown, Lindsey Wren, and Pastor Nicolette Siragusa at the Ingham County Courthouse today.

Lauren Brown and Lindsey Wren, residents of East Lansing’s Pinecrest neighborhood, were at the Ingham County Courthouse today within two hours of the Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-gender marriage nationwide. Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum told us she was committed to staying as late as necessary to make sure any couples wishing to marry today can do so.

Pastor Nicolette Siragusa of the First Congregational United Church of Christ (of Grand Ledge) rushed to the courthouse to perform Brown and Wren’s wedding. Brown and Wren told us they have been together three years and have been looking forward to getting married.

Said Brown, “We are lucky that we are ready to get married at a time when it has spontaneously become available. But we have lots of friends who have been together for decades and have not been afforded those rights.”

Wren told us that as soon as it became clear that the Supreme Court had ruled in favor of marriage equality, the two called their families to join them at the courthouse. The two were actually on their way to look at wedding reception venues when they got the news.

Brown says the couple are “fortunate because we have supportive families.” She added,  “From our perspective, we are afforded a great deal of privilege, that we are safe and that we live in a community that is very accepting.” Wren specifically added that  “East Lansing in general is very accepting,” in part because of the long-standing non-discrimination ordinance. “But,” Brown added, “we have friends around the country who could be fired if they are out at work.”

Brown and Wren told us they are looking forward to paying taxes together.

Reverand Kit Carlson of East Lansing’s All Saint Episcopal Church also rushed to the courthouse after learning of the ruling. Finding Byrum just outside the courthouse, Carlson and Byrum hugged and spoke of their happiness at the ruling.

Carlson told us, “I can’t [legally] marry anybody—I can just throw a party.” That is what she came to do—to provide a party-like reception for those choosing to marry today. Carlson noted that her bishop, Wendell Gibs, “is a big advocate for marriage quality.”

Carlson said that she performed “a wedding in New York of a child of one of our parishioners a couple of years ago.” One of the brides “grew up in East Lansing and went to East Lansing High School. She ought to have been able to get married in her hometown and we couldn’t do that, so I did it in Brooklyn. And I promised the couple at that time that my wedding present to them would be that I would work so that their marriage and all marriages would be legal in Michigan. So this is the culmination of my wedding gift to them.”

Below: Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum and Reverend Kit Carlson