In
an
evening
of
tenderness
and
defiance,
more
than
100
gay
and
lesbian
couples
pledged
their
love
and
lives
to
one
another
during
the
Atlanta
Pride
Commitment
Ceremony
on
July
5.
“I’m
kind
of
shocked
it
feels
this
good,”
said
Kevin
Poyner,
who
participated
in
the
commitment
ceremony
with
his
partner
of
10
months,
Donte
Jeffers.
“I
didn’t
expect
this
feeling
of
unity
and
comfort.”
Dressed
in
casual
summer
white
and
khaki
outfits,
Poyner
and
Jeffers
said
they
came
to
the
Atlanta
Civic
Center
to
exchange
vows
as
a
way
of
making
their
relationship
more
official.
“It’s
more
of
a
finalization
of
everything,”
Jeffers,
33,
said.
With
Georgia’s
constitution
prohibiting
any
recognition
of
same-sex
unions,
the
Pride
commitment
ceremony
is
largely
symbolic.
The
participating
couples
receive
no
legal
benefits,
but
the
recent
California
Supreme
Court
decision
legalizing
same-sex
marriage
in
that
state
buoyed
the
spirits
of
many
local
couples
that
equal
marriage
rights
could
one
day
come
to
Georgia.
“It
added
a
special
meaning
for
us
to
participate
in
this,”
Poyner,
41,
said
of
the
California
ruling.
Although
the
lack
of
legal
rights
and
protections
was
noted
during
the
ceremony,
the
event
exuded
the
loving
and
celebratory
mood
found
at
most
weddings.
“There
is
a
power
greater
than
us
all
who
respects
the
authority
of
[gay
and
lesbian
couples’]
love,”
said
Rev.
Tessie
Mandeville,
pastor
at
the
Christ
Covenant
Metropolitan
Church
of
Decatur.
“Your
presence
is
an
affirmation
of
that
love.”
Ivinia
Isaac
looked
like
a
picture-perfect
bride
at
the
commitment
ceremony,
decked
out
in
a
white
bridal
gown
beside
her
partner,
Shaun
Eberhart,
who
wore
a
matching
white
tuxedo
with
a
black
bow
tie.
“We’re
here
because
we’re
in
love,
and
we
really
want
to
express
ourselves,
and
we
want
the
world
to
know
it,”
Eberhart,
45,
said.
Having
been
together
for
two-and-a-half
years,
Isaac
said
she
considers
Eberhart
to
be
her
life
partner,
“and
I
couldn’t
think
of
a
better
way
to
express
me
love”
than
at
the
commitment
ceremony.
“It’s
great,
it’s
warm,
it’s
welcoming,”
Isaac,
32,
said
of
the
large
crowd
at
the
commitment
ceremony.
“It’s
a
needed
experience.”
Jes
Harris
and
Katie
Van
Etten
also
showed
up
to
the
commitment
ceremony
in
matching
formal
wear,
with
Harris
donning
a
navy
blue
tuxedo
and
Van
Etten
wearing
a
complimenting
dress.
“I
was
in
Texas
on
vacation,”
said
Harris,
23,
describing
the
moment
she
knew
she
wanted
to
propose
to
Van
Etten.
“I
called
her
and
was
missing
her
horribly,
and
realized
there
shouldn’t
be
a
vacation
she
wasn’t
on.”
“You’re
about
to
make
me
cry,”
Van
Etten,
26,
said.
“I
want
to
spend
the
rest
of
my
life
with
her.”
Instead
of
opting
for
full-fledged
tuxedos,
Rich
Ephgrave
and
Darron
Deal
wore
tuxedo-print
T-shirts
to
the
commitment
ceremony,
which
they
decided
to
participate
in
after
recently
moving
in
together.
“Since
legally
we’re
not
about
to
get
married,
we
just
figured
it
would
be
nice
as
a
group
effort,
for
lack
of
a
better
term,
to
stand
together,”
Ephgrave,
34,
said.
The
couple
is
hopeful
that
the
Pride
commitment
ceremony
will
not
forever
remain
symbolic,
as
marriage
equality
eventually
trickles
down
to
Georgia.
“Within
the
past
three
years,
even,
it’s
headed
in
the
right
direction,
and
props
for
the
people
who
are
fighting
for
it,”
Deal,
26,
said.
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