DIY Gay Wedding Series: Mrs. & Mrs. Gay Marriage Law Mobile
16 Sep
I lot of gay and straight couples want to express to their guests the need for marriage equality. Many people attending even a gay wedding don’t realize that there are literally thousands of benefits of marriage that gay couples can’t enjoy- even if their state legally recognizes their union, the federal government doesn’t.
I wanted to create something that was fun and whimsical but was also an “Aha!” moment for guests to visualize just how many benefits gay couples are still fighting for with marriage equality. Thus the Gay Marriage Law Mobile was born.
I see “Bride” and “Groom” signs everywhere in the wedding industry. So I thought using Mrs. & Mrs. for the embroidery would be tongue-in-cheek. All those tags you see? Each one has a benefit that gay couples are currently denied because the federal goverment does not recognize gay marriage.
Supplies:
- 2 embroidery hoops
- A needle
- Embroidery thread
- White linen
- Shipping labels(the pink labels used for the different laws)
- A silver gel pen
First step is to use a sharpie(the thin felt kind) to draw the word Mrs. & Mrs or Mr. & Mr. on your white linen fabric that is already stretched on a hoop. I would have loved a wooden hoop but my area doesn’t sell them!
Then it’s time to break out the needle and thread.
Never done a chain-stitch before? Me neither. I looked it up on Martha Stewart’s website.
Now chain stitch away! After doing one Mrs. go on to the other hoop and do the other Mrs.
Now break out your shipping labels. I got these from etsy and used a silver gel pen to write the different benefits that gay marriage recognized by the federal government would entail:
- Filing joint income tax returns with the IRS and state taxing authorities.
- Making burial or other final arrangements.
- Receiving spousal or child support, child custody, and visitation if you divorce.
To download a PDF of the 1,100 protections the federal government denies same-sex couples go here.
Then you tie the shipping label tags on embroidery string and then tie them to your embroidery hoops.
Ta-Da! I would love to see these hanging on the doors of the ceremony, or maybe above the guest book table, or on the back of the couples chair. A little note saying “Each tag here represents a benefit that is currently being denied to gay couples on the federal and state level”
The more tags, the better. Actually seeing a benefit on each tag and seeing dozens of tags really makes you go “Woah!”
I feel amazingly lucky that when I wanted to get married there was already at least one state in which I could. I have been so wrapped up in planning the wedding, that except for seperate federal tax returns, I had forgotten everything else we don’t get. Thank you for reminding me, even if it is saddening, and designing a meaningful project.
In a similar project, I’ve really been wanting to make Hers and Hers handtowels. So far I haven’t found good towels to embroider, but once I do, those puppies are going up in the bathroom whenever we have guests over.
Excellent idea! I’ve been thinking about having my guests wear white knots in support of legalizing gay marriage–this is a great way to educate even further.
Also, Sublime Stitching is awesome for tutorials on embroidery (and patterns).
this is awesometasticlous