RI Senator “elated” when same-sex marriage bill passed 5 years ago

Wednesday marks five years since same-sex marriage became legal in Rhode Island. To mark the occasion, ABC6 sat down with one of the state senators who first sponsored the bill.

Donna Nesselbush was not only a key player in getting the marriage equality bill passed, she also married her wife a month after same-sex marriage became legal.

"So many of us worked so hard for so long for the passage of marriage equality."

Nesselbush had been working towards the goal since attending college at Brown University, speaking with legislators and policy makers to make her far-off dream a reality.

"I had lived my whole adult life thinking I would never get married, so when it finally became a real possibility it was transformational and it was elating."

The Senator was a sponsor of the Senate’s version of the bill that passed 56 to 15, nearly two years before the Supreme Court ruling that allowed same-sex marriage throughout the 50 states.

"We immediately got our marriage license and got married September 20th of 2013."

Nesselbush and her wife, Kelly, are celebrating their five year anniversary next month. While she says Rhode Island is on the right track, there’s a lot more to be done both culturally and legally.

"Any gay couples that want to have children have interesting struggles with how to have those children and how to square away their legal rights."

Beyond the issues, Nesselbush and others like her, are grateful that the ruling has made it easier for them to openly be themselves.

"I personally went from being afraid and ashamed of being gay, to obviously now being proudly married."