David Russell and Mateo Galvano have been partners for five years, and live together in Albany, Ohio. Though they are in a committed relationship, the two cannot marry. In 2004, Ohio passed its Defense of Marriage Act, prohibiting marriage between same-sex partners. Russell stated, “I’ve just followed my heart and followed what is true and it’s led me to be in this relationship with Mateo… The fact that there are people that are blocking that… it’s something that you kind of want to ignore… but as people in the world you can’t ignore things like that.”
