One year after the Supreme Court ruled to legalize same-sex marriage, A Lincoln couple share their story

Posted By: Veronica Ortega

vortega@klkntv.com

Last year history was made when the Supreme Court handed down its ruling that legalized same-sex marriage across the country.

Couples flocked to court houses to make their unions binding. In Douglas and Lancaster county more than 270 marriage licenses have been issued since last summer.

It was also a big win for married Lincoln couple Todd Vesely and Joel Busch who have been fighting for seven years to become foster parents.

"You hear across the state how many kids there are in the foster care system that can’t be placed, and how there’s such a need for foster parents. This kind of got the ball rolling for us," Todd Vesely said.

Todd and Joel say they had always talked about having kids, but faced opposition from the state. Prior to the ruling, married same sex couples were allowed to adopt children, but not foster. Now that’s changed.

Todd and Joel now foster three boys. Their lives are now filled will school, play dates, and doctors visits.

"It’s been a roller coaster, but I think I speak for both of us when I say, we wouldn’t change a thing," Todd said.

They say although a lot of strides have been made there’s still some hurdles they need to overcome.

This past legislative session a bill was introduced that would have allowed faith based organizations to deny gay couples the right to foster citing their religious beliefs.

That bill failed to pass, but so did a bill that would have prevented workplace discrimination of members of the LGBT community.

"We’re all human, we all live and breathe. So don’t put labels on people and we won’t have to worry about any of this," Joel Busch said.