Same sex marriage was legalized around all of the United States on June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Before same sex marriage was legalized in Texas, senior Michela Gero’s same-sex parents had to go to New York to get married, and were not able to take their children with them since it was such an expensive trip.

“My mom went to New York to get married to my mom, Julie,” Gero said. “It was just annoying since I couldn’t attend my parents wedding.  It was something my mom wanted us to be there to witness since no one else in our family has had a same sex marriage.”

Gero’s biological mother, Norma Kimbrel is married to Julie Kimbrel and have been married for three years.

“Julie was my son Elijah’s therapist and that’s how we met,”  Kimbrel said. “When I told my daughter that I was gay she didn’t care about what I did, she didn’t question me about my sexuality like some kids do, she let me be who I wanted to be. When I told her she was going to have another mom, she said do what makes you happy, which made me feel better about my situation.”

It takes a lot of courage to come out of the closet but even more courage to explain that concept to children.

“It definitely took my mom tons of courage to come out to me and I think that was just mostly because I would have been the one who knew the most about the word, ‘gay,’” Gero said. “I think my mom thought that I would hate her, or I wouldn’t talk to her because she was gay, but honestly I didn’t care what she did, all I wanted was for her to be happy, if she wanted to be gay, let her be gay.”

Other mom, Julie Kimbrel, takes care of Gero’s special needs brother Elijah, who has autism.

“I met Norma because Elijah was one of my clients and I would go to there home to help Elijah with physical therapy,” Julie said. “I was really hesitant to see what the kids were going to think about me I just didn’t want them to think of me like the evil stepmother from Cinderella, but luckily the kids treated me like their own mother and made me feel like a parent since I have never had kids.”

Julie wanted to take her kids to New York with her so they could see her get married but since New York was so far and so expensive that idea was out of the picture for them.

“It was just so stupid that I had to go to New York to get married and that my children couldn’t be there with me because I didn’t have enough money to take them with me,” Julie said. “When I said, ‘I do,’ it was bittersweet because I looked out and I didn’t get to see my kids, but right after I left the courtroom I called them and told them that we got married and our relationship was official. Throughout my trip in New York I was thinking about them and how the kids would like this food, this toy, this souvenir, but now that I can get re-married in Austin.  I will have my kids there so they can see me say those two words again.”