Standing next to his fiance Ethan Fletcher on the steps of Cincinnati City Hall, Andrew Hickam was all smiles as the couple handed over their paperwork to a notary public.
“We’re excited that this is actually going to be the first legal document affirming our commitment to each other in a domestic partnership,” Hickam said. “This is a great step towards the wonderful fight that we’ve all been fighting to eventually get…the right to marry here in Ohio.”
Hickam and Fletcher are also one of six couples suing Ohio in federal court for the right to marry.
John Boggess with Equality Ohio says Cincinnati is now the tenth city in the state to create a domestic partner registry.
“It’s all over the map,” he said. “It’s places like Athens and Yellow Springs, Toledo, Dayton, and now the third 'C' in addition to Columbus and Cleveland.”
The aim of the registry is to provide legal documentation unmarried couples in committed relationships can use to prove their status to employers or health care agencies.
