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5 years of same-sex marriage: Knoxville couple was key in landmark case

Five years ago, the Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. The landmark case started locally with a couple and attorney in Knoxville.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Same-sex marriage became legal in all 50 states on June 26, 2015.  The day was "a blur" to the attorney who took the case of a same-sex Knoxville couple all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States.

"It was a once in a lifetime experience. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by and it's been five years," said attorney Regina Lambert Hillman.

A lot has changed in the last five years for Lambert Hillman.  In 2015, she was Regina Lambert, an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee School of Law.  

Since then, she moved from Knoxville to accept a full-time teaching position at the University of Memphis law school.  She got married and added the name Hillman.  And what she once thought unimaginable is now an everyday norm in society.

Credit: WBIR
Regina Lambert Hillman, law professor at the University of Memphis, during a video-conference interview with WBIR.

"Most LGBT people from my generation never even thought to hope for a time when you could get married," said Lambert Hillman.  "I saw some hope in 2013 with the Windsor case."

The Windsor decision struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that defined marriage as only between a man and woman.  That opened the door for legal challenges to state laws that banned same-sex marriage.

Lambert Hillman met a same-sex couple on campus with a strong case. Val Tanco and Sophy Jesty were married in 2011 when they lived in New York, then moved to Knoxville for jobs at UT College of Veterinary Medicine.

"They were a spousal hire at the University of Tennessee vet school. They were married in New York. But as soon as they moved to Tennessee, their marriage was no longer recognized," said Lambert Hillman. 

Credit: WBIR
Sophy Jesty, attorney Regina Lambert Hillman, and Val Tanco in 2014 as their same-sex marriage case proceeded through federal court.

She made sure Tanco and Jesty knew what they were getting into with a protracted and public legal battle.

"I told them for 20 minutes why they should get involved in the case and two hours why they should not. We went through all the terrible things they might have to endure and showed them what other people went through in similar cases. In hindsight, we are so thankful none of those negative things never really materialized. Knoxville was so positive and supportive," said Lambert Hillman.

As the lawsuit made its way through the federal courts, the magnitude of the case grew along with the size of their family.  Val Tanco was pregnant with the couple's child.

"A baby was going to be coming. If something would go wrong when she was in labor, the state of Tennessee wouldn't recognize Sophy as a parent," said Lambert Hillman.

Credit: WBIR
Same-sex marriage plaintiffs Val Tanco and Sophy Jesty cook dinner at their Knoxville home in 2014.

In March 2014, a federal judge ruled Tennessee had to recognize marriages from other states.  The ruling came just in time for the birth of the couple's daughter.

"We could get a birth certificate with both parents names on it. So, it was a first. It was unprecedented," said Lambert Hillman.

Eight months later in November 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals reversed the decision of the lower courts. That set the stage for a showdown in the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Knoxville couple's case was combined with lawsuits from three other states.

"It was Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Tennessee. They're not the states that you hear that are the big change-makers. So, I think it was really special. We were not on the sidelines. We deserved to be included in this case that affected countless people everywhere," said Lambert Hillman.

Credit: WBIR
Attorney Regina Lambert Hillman walks down the Supreme Court steps with same-sex marriage plaintiffs Sophy Jesty and Val Tanco in April 2015.

Tanco's name was listed as the plaintiff from Tennessee. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in April 2015.

On the steps of the Supreme Court, Tanco addressed a large crowd and stated, "We got into this lawsuit because we wanted to stand up for our family, and families like ours that are currently denied the protections of marriage."

It took a couple of months for the court to announce its decision.  The announcement ultimately came a couple of days earlier than expected.

"We were hitting refresh on my iPad to see if there was an announcement. Then it showed up and said opinion by Kennedy, and we knew we won. It was just euphoria. That whole day was a blur. So many people showed up to a celebration at the Sunsphere," said Lambert Hillman.

Credit: WBIR
The first same-sex couple to receive a marriage license in Knox County wed June 26, 2015, a few hours after the SCOTUS ruling.

Couples showed up at courthouses and churches to exercise the rights they never previously had in Tennessee. The Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on Kingston Pike performed the ceremony for the first same-sex couple to get a marriage license in Knox County.

Five years later, Lambert Hillman still has a large rainbow ribbon on her wall from the rally at the Sunsphere. 

"At the celebration rally, I was walking out and somebody handed that to me. I have moved a couple of times since then, but it is always there on my wall," she said.

Credit: WBIR
A large crowd gathered at the Sunsphere in Knoxville on June 25, 2015, to celebrate the Supreme Court decision that made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

Sophy Jesty and Val Tanco now have two children and live in South Carolina.

"I Facetimed with them last night. Their youngest daughter, she will be three next month. And Amelia, their first daughter, is six. Both girls are beautiful. They're just a happy family," said Lambert Hillman.

Lambert Hillman said what stands out to her during the last five years is how same-sex marriage has become "no big deal" to so many.

"With hindsight, you think about all the fears of the unknown people had. All fears people had of what this was going to do to society. And none of those fears came to fruition. People are people. Love is love. When you have big changes that are based on love and caring, I think that's a pretty special thing," said Lambert Hillman.

Credit: WBIR
A rainbow flag in front of the Supreme Court prior to arguments over same-sex marriage in April 2015.

Lambert Hillman said the fight for marriage equality is not over. However, she feels like the recent Supreme Court ruling was another significant piece of the puzzle. The court decided the Civil Rights law protects LGBT workers from discrimination in the workplace.

"Even though same-sex marriage was legal, you could get married on Friday and your boss could fire you on Monday just because you were in a same-sex relationship. This month's ruling was a big step in an ongoing effort for equality," said Lambert Hillman.

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