Two El Paso men made history 21 years ago when they became the first gay couple to announce their union in the El Paso Times.
The newspaper published the announcement with their pictures on June 26, 1994, in the section for wedding, engagement and anniversary announcements.
Rob Schumaker and Alex Herrera said the Rev. James Millican married them at a poolside ceremony on April 22, 1994. Gay marriages were not legal in the Lone Star State in 1994, but the couple was able to register their union as a domestic partnership in Austin.
"That was the closest thing we could do legally at the time. We did not receive any benefits other than knowing somewhere our union was legally recorded," Schumaker said.
In a landmark decision on June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gay and lesbian couples had the right to get married in all 50 states. Before the ruling, nearly 40 U.S. states, not including Texas, allowed same-sex marriages, as did 20 countries.
"I knew it would happen eventually, but I did not expect to see it in my lifetime," Schumaker, 49, said about the ruling. "Back then, in 1994, it was just a distant dream."
On his Facebook page, Schumaker posted a message on June 26 about the Supreme Court ruling: "Today is a great day for our country. Today the Supreme Court has ruled that LGBT marriage bans are unconstitutional and equal marriage is now legal in all 50 states!"
Schumaker said he went by the name Rob Knight in 1994, a moniker he used when he was a DJ at KXCR radio station.
Herrera said it was his idea to try to get an announcement of their union published in the newspaper.
"I didn't do it to create any turmoil," Herrera said. "For me, it was something normal that other couples did. We had to cross out some things on the form to get the announcement published, such as where it said 'bride and groom.' I was hoping more gay couples would do the same, and I was disappointed that more didn't do it."
Pictures: wedding dresses online
Schumaker said he and Herrera were open about their relationship before the notice appeared in the newspaper.
The published announcement transformed them into instant celebrities for a time.
"We got to travel to Miami to be on a talk show," Herrera said.
Both were already active as advocates in the gay community, and were used to giving presentations and helping gay youths.
Schumaker, then 28, was president and founder of LAMBDA Services, an organization that provided services to the gay community, and a graduate of Austin High School. He also attended the University of Texas at El Paso.
Herrera, who was 23, was a volunteer coordinator at LAMBDA, a graduate of Socorro High School and a student at El Paso Community College. Both are natives of El Paso.
"Those two young men were courageous to take the step they took," said Dionicio "Don" Flores, the former El Paso Times editor who authorized publishing the 1994 wedding announcement.
Herrera and Schumaker said safety was a concern, and they were on the lookout for any threatening reactions to their union or their wedding announcement.
"We expected some sort of backlash after the notice ran," Schumaker said. "After our wedding, a woman on the second story of the building began waving at us. At first we couldn't see what she was doing until we walked over. She began throwing rice at us! One more step towards freedom."
Then, "We watched a man reading the El Paso Times when the announcement ran. He was reading the front page article. We watched to see if he would get mad, or throw the paper down. He didn't. In fact, we thought he smiled."
Both said they read the opinions about their wedding announcement in letters published by the newspaper.
"There were the letters to the editor. For a full week, they represented both pro and con views, but some of the authors were pretty angry," Schumaker said, "that included our former sheriff, Leo Samaniego, who wrote a very negative letter about our wedding announcement and signed it in his official capacity as sheriff. That gave us concern."
In 1994, Bill Clinton was the president, Ann Richards was the Texas governor and Larry Francis was El Paso's mayor.
That year's pop hit songs included "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" by Elton John and "Again" by Janet Jackson.
Herrera said many members of El Paso's gay community back then tended to socialize or meet at gay bars.
"Rob and I weren't into the bar scene, but many of the others were," Herrera said.
There weren't many places back then where gays could congregate where they were sure not to be harassed.
There was a gay bar owner who overreacted to Schumaker and Herrera's wedding notice, and for the wrong reason, the two men said.
"The bar owner saw Alex's picture, and because Alex looked much younger than his 23 years at the time, he thought Alex was under-aged and he freaked out," Schumaker said. "He didn't want any trouble and made us remove all our LAMDA literature and materials from the bar."
After the recent Supreme Court ruling, the El Paso County Clerk's Office began issuing same-sex marriage licenses.
Between June 26 and July 2, the County Clerk's Office issued a total of 172 marriage licenses, and 29 of them were for same-sex couples.
Of the 29 same-sex marriage applications, 14 couples got married, according to the County Clerk's Office. A Herrera said he believes American society was ready to accept gay marriage, as numerous polls had indicated, because other things took place first that led to the monumental June 26 ruling.
"There was the Army's (1993) 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, and then the (2011) Army came out with the new police that allows openly gay members to serve," Herrera said.
The U.S. military used to ban gays and lesbians from serving in the armed forces, and gradually the ban was repealed.
"They saw that we were just like anybody else and that the world didn't end," Herrera said.
The two men ended their union after being together for 13 years but remain friends. Herrera still lives in El Paso, while Schumaker moved to the South near his relatives.
Herrera, 44, a health care technician, said he got married two years ago in New Mexico, and is glad that his marriage to another man is now legal in all 50 states now.
Schumaker, who works in the telecommunications industry, said he has not remarried and is active in family activities. "I have enjoyed watching my nephews grow and develop, and I am a part of their lives," he said.
Herrera and Schumaker said they were gratified to have worked with the next generation of the gay community while they were together in El Paso.
"One of the greatest gifts I've ever received is the opportunity to watch former LAMBDA Youth Group members grow up," Schumaker said. "Several have contacted us to say that Alex and I were instrumental in their becoming the strong, proud LGBT adults they are today. That has been very, very humbling and gratifying. They are the real heroes."
Herrera said that while gay marriage is an important milestone it must be followed by full legal protections for gay and lesbian members.
"We still need protection against such things as discrimination in housing and jobs," Herrera said. "For example, there may be places that won't cater to gay couples."
Herrera said he still harbors a desire to return to and marry in the Catholic Church. "I'm willing to go back if they changed their views toward us," Herrera said. A lot of gays moved away from God and their churches because they felt ostracized."
Diana Washington Valdez may be reached at 546-6140.
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