On the summer solstice, June 21, 2010, among dear family and close friends, my partner of twelve years and myself jaunted over to San Francisco City Hall for a civil union. When we arrived, we had just missed a tour of elementary kids who were boarding their buses as we filed in for our appointment to be wed ’til death do us part. After our ceremony under the rotunda, we whisked up to the top floor for a photo shoot meanwhile SEIU members demonstrated, singing “We Shall Overcome.” We followed our civil union with a photo shoot at one of our favorite venues, the Legion of Honors. The day closed with an exchange of vows on Ocean Beach, and after ward we celebrated with dinner at the Cliff House.
We were lucky enough to have this magical day documented by our one of our nearest and dearest friends, who I’ve known since our salad days at UCLA. The photographer, artist, and educator Brenda Janairo captured the solstice’s events with her artistry. Here’s an excerpt of her website:
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
I’m a sucker for love. I’m the one who watches all the weepy love flicks and cries like a baby. Yes, I admit, I love to cry. It’s not the mere action of crying that I love, but more the ability to connect to characters that I watch. To me that is what creates a beautiful film, characters I can sympathize with.
Now, when I connect to people in real life…tears do flow. A few weekends ago I had the honor of shooting the wedding of 2 amazing individuals, Rashaan and Phil.
Rashaan Alexis Meneses 