On Saturday, beneath a glowing crystal chandelier in the rotunda of the Minnesota State Capitol, one of the world’s largest free-standing marble domes, Representative Leigh Dawn Finke, the first transgender person elected to the Minnesota Legislature, was married to Deborah Marie Fox, a consultant on anti-gender-based violence.
State Representative Liish Kozlowski, the first nonbinary member of the Minnesota Legislature, officiated before 175 guests.
For the couple, the ceremony felt like a cleansing of sorts and a “return to the movement work that we do in that space,” said Ms. Finke, a Democrat from St. Paul, Minn.
In June, they had attended the memorial at the State Capitol for Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman, a friend and colleague of Ms. Finke, who was killed at home in what officials have called a political assassination. The memorial was also for Ms. Hortman’s husband, Mark, and their dog, Gilbert.
“We went there to mourn and grieve,” said Ms. Fox, 51. Their wedding was “an opportunity to bring a lot of people together to celebrate.”
“I’ve had a very hard time as a trans legislator,” said Ms. Finke, 44, in an interview before the wedding. “So I’m just excited to have a big gay party there.”
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