While the Supreme Court declined this month to pick up a case challenging the Obergefell decision that legalized same sex marriage nationwide, LGBTQ+ Americans have faced new challenges under the Trump Administration including restrictions on gender changes for passports and rolling back protections against discrimination.
One year ago, we introduced you to a queer couple who got married during a flash wedding event in Lansing in anticipation of President Trump returning to office.
Jaden Ziv and Dae Iddings had been engaged for five of the seven years they were together when they found out about the event at Copper Moon in Old Town after Trump was reelected. They were among seven couples who tied the knot ahead of his inauguration.
Iddings and Ziv had recently moved from Tennessee to Michigan because Ziv is transgender, and the couple was worried about his access to health care and overall safety. They both say they don't regret the decision to relocate.
Iddings says they've found new community in the Greater Lansing area, especially at the Salus Center where Ziv helps run support group for transmasculine people.
"When we lived in Tennessee, we lived in a rural area. We were very isolated. I think we were probably the only queer couple in the town we lived in, maybe even in the surrounding towns as well," she said.
But Ziv says even with greater protections for LGBTQ+ people in Michigan, he's not naïve.
"Even with all the ways that I am lucky and protected, it's still pretending that the bubble is completely impenetrable is foolish, and it's scary and being aware of everything that's going on around us," he explained.
Despite the political challenges, both say they're celebrating this milestone and looking ahead to the future. The couple recently made wedding bands for each other.
"It feels a lot more powerful to be able to say, 'This is my wife' than 'this is my fiancé,' like I have been for the past five years. It just feels a lot better to have that legal protection to it," Ziv said.
"There's been so many great moments this last year of just getting to spend time together and enjoy being married, and I'm just excited for that to continue to grow as we enter our second year of marriage," Iddings added.
Interview Highlights
Ziv on the couple's move to Michigan from Tennessee
I absolutely think that we made the correct decision, especially with the way that the administration is turning, there's a lot more protections in Michigan, especially like you were saying before, even with the passport stuff, because Michigan's able to have this special IDs if I need to go into Canada for something, I can kind of get around that. But even with all the ways that I am lucky and protected, it's still pretending that the bubble is completely impenetrable is foolish and it's scary and being aware of everything that's going on around us,
Iddings on finding community in the Greater Lansing area
In Michigan, especially the Salus Center that Jaden mentioned, has been instrumental in us finding so many people that are either also cis/trans couples or just queer couples in general, there's a lot more community and love that we feel in Michigan, because we don't feel so isolated.
Ziv on their anniversary
We made each other our wedding bands. That's going to be a lot to show off this second year coming up and just, you know, continuing into the rhythm of marriage. And obviously, the perfect couple doesn't truly exist. But I like to think we're a very good example of how to treat your partner with respect and dignity and love and still having, you know, the passion of romance for each other.
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: While the Supreme Court declined this month to pick up a case challenging the Obergefell decision that legalized same sex marriage nationwide, LGBTQ Americans have faced new challenges under the Trump Administration including restrictions on gender changes for passports and rolling back protections against discrimination.
One year ago, we introduced you to a queer couple who got married during a flash wedding event in Lansing in anticipation of President Trump returning to office.
I’m here now with Jaden Ziv and Dae Iddings. Thank you both for being here.
Jaden Ziv: Thanks so much for having us.
Dae Iddings: Yeah, thank you.
Saliby: So first, congrats on your anniversary. What has this past year been like for you, Jaden?
Ziv: It's been really great. I really love having a wife. It feels a lot more powerful to be able to say, "This is my wife" than "this is my fiancé," like I have been for the past five years. It just feels a lot better to have that legal protection to it.
Iddings: I agree. Having the protection of like a marriage license has been really great, and I love getting to say that I have a husband.
Saliby: You all moved here from Tennessee to Michigan because of safety concerns for you, Jaden, as a trans man in a more red state. Can you tell me about how that decision has turned out in this past year?
Ziv: Yeah, I absolutely think that we made the correct decision, especially with the way that the administration is turning, there's a lot more protections in Michigan, especially like you were saying before, even with the passport stuff, because Michigan's able to have the special IDs if I need to go into Canada for something, I can kind of get around that.
But even with all the ways that I am lucky and protected, it's still, pretending that the bubble is completely impenetrable is foolish and it's scary and being aware of everything that's going on around us. Especially, basically the entirety of Michigan is within the 100 miles of the international border, so especially with ICE, documents don't matter as much. It's mostly just about being profiled.
Saliby: Is there any concern for you, Dae, you know, being with Jaden, that you might not be able to protect him in a way that maybe a cis-straight couple could?
Iddings: I think that's always a concern for us. I don't like to think on it or dwell on it, but it's always kind of a concern in the back of my mind that even though we have more protections in Michigan, much more than we had in Tennessee. It's like Jaden was saying, it's a bubble. It's not ironclad.
Saliby: Several Michigan healthcare systems have cut back or eliminated programs for gender-affirming care for minors this year. Obviously, you're two adults, so many of these decisions don't impact you. But is there an impact for where you can get care, medical care?
Ziv: Even if it's indirect, there definitely is an impact felt even when the bans are against minors. I run a trans-masc support group at the Salus center, and basically, every time any news comes out of the sort, we're already like, alright, gotta work out. You know, especially, testosterone is a controlled substance, so there's already extra barriers, but especially when you're making everything inaccessible.
And honestly, it's the camel getting its nose in the door of, all right, we can push against this part of the trans community, and then this part, and expand it and expand it. Even in Michigan, we see different places closing down, like the top surgery offices and things like that. The fear trickles down basically immediately, where all these programs are anticipating the cuts.
They're already laying people off and making adjustments and taking back DEI even when they do just start with, "Oh, well, we're just thinking of the kids," which they're never actually thinking about the protection of kids.
Saliby: Can you talk about, Dae, maybe, the community you found here? If that's something that's maybe been different in Michigan, or anything that has kind of brought you closer to people like you and couples like you?
Iddings: Yes, we found so much community in Michigan. When we lived in Tennessee, we lived in a rural area. We were very isolated. I think we were probably the only queer couple in the town we lived in, maybe even in the surrounding towns as well.
And in Michigan, especially the Salus Center that Jaden mentioned, has been instrumental in us finding so many people that are either also cis/trans couples or just queer couples in general, there's a lot more community and love that we feel in Michigan, because we don't feel so isolated.
Saliby: And I want to end by asking you both, what are you hopeful about or looking forward to in your second year of marriage together?
Iddings: I am just looking forward to all the little moments. There's been so many great moments this last year of just getting to spend time together and enjoy being married, and I'm just excited for that to continue to grow as we enter our second year of marriage.
Ziv: This past Sunday, we made each other our wedding bands. That's going to be a lot to show off this second year coming up and just, you know, continuing into the rhythm of marriage.
And obviously, the perfect couple doesn't truly exist. But I like to think we're a very good example of how to treat your partner with respect and dignity and love and still having, you know, the passion of romance for each other.
Saliby: Well, thank you both for joining me. That's Jaden Ziv and Dae Iddings who are a queer couple based in Lansing.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
