For most of this nation’s history, same-sex couples have not been given the opportunity to have their relationships legally recognized. While same-sex marriage was officially recognized nationwide earlier this year, for most couples, their relationship means more than a marriage license or a ceremony. It means a shared life together, complete with the rights to inheritances and property enjoyed by heterosexual married couples. A story in the New York Times this week, however, is a grim reminder of the struggles that so many faced for so long.

Partner Adoptions

The article recounts the story of a gay man from San Francisco who was living in New York in 1977 when he met a man with whom he quickly fell in love. The couple remained together for the next ten years until the death of one partner, the year before the words "gay marriage" appeared in the New York Times for the first time.