Minnesota gay couple who married in 1971 granted federal recognition

A Minnesota gay couple who tied the knot in the US in 1971 have been granted recognition by the federal government, 48 years later.

Michael McConnell and Jack Baker quietly tied the knot in Blue Earth County, Minnesota in 1971, after legally receiving a marriage license from a clerk who did not realise the application was from two men.

The state had no law to explicitly ban same-sex couples from getting married at the time, but instead of officially attempting to revoke or nullify the marriage, officials instead refused to recognise the union had happened.

Same-sex marriage from 1971 Minnesota ‘in all respects valid’

The marriage became the centre of a decades-long legal battle in Minnesota, which has now finally come to a close more than four decades later.

In September 2018, a district court in Minnesota ruled: “The marriage is declared to be in all respects valid.”

LGBTQ Nation reports that the ruling has been followed with action from the federal government, which agreed to recognise the Minnesota marriage.

According to the outlet, the Social Security Administration sent a letter to the couple on February 16 confirming their 1971 marriage was legal.

Michael McConnell and Jack Baker tied the knot in Blue Earth County, Minnesota in 1971 (Minnesota Historical Society)

McConnell said: “This is really a Valentine.

“It proves what I’ve always said. Jack and I are in our 70s, and we’ve been married almost 50 years.

“Our marriage is all about the power of love… sometimes it takes a while, but in the end, love always wins.”