It was really about wanting to, at some core level, stake our right to participate in this great historic tradition.

It was miserably cold—35 degrees. I was completely unprepared, and I was waiting in line with folks whom I don't come into contact with all that much.

We were feeling really powerless and frustrated. We were literally trying to imagine what we could do to change how we were being talked about and represented and portrayed. I don't think there's any other family celebration that's so public and so well covered.

When I talked about my partner, you could see them sort of processing that information and trying to figure out what to do with it. But very soon, you get past any initial sort of hesitation to where you're talking about your kids, and what they're going to wear and what they were like as a toddler, and sharing blankets and doughnuts.

It was miserably cold—35 degrees. I was completely unprepared, and I was waiting in line with folks whom I don't come into contact with all that much.

It's not about them. It's about trying to get past them to the people.