Jim Darby and Patrick Bova, lead
plaintiffs in Lambda Legal's successful lawsuit challenging Illinois'
ban on gay marriage, tied the knot on Monday.
The men, together 51 years in July,
were among the 15 couples who married at the Museum of Contemporary
Art in downtown Chicago a day after a marriage law approved by
lawmakers last year went into effect.
(Related: Illinois
gay marriage law takes effect Sunday.)
Darby, 81, and Bova, 76, met in 1963 at
the University of Chicago.
Darby, a veteran of the Korean War, and
Bova are active in Chicago's gay community.
“I did not think this would ever
come,” Darby told The
Huffington Post of his wedding day. “I was involved with
the gay veterans for 20 years and it seemed like Don't Ask, Don't
Tell would never come to an end. And when it did, it came so fast we
were almost caught by surprise.”
In 1995, the men held a commitment
ceremony at the grave of Sgt. Leonard Matlovich, who in 1975 declared
“I am a homosexual” on the cover of Time magazine,
instantly making him a symbol of the military's outright ban against
gay men and lesbians.
(Related: Honoring
gay veteran Leonard Matlovich.)