Xochitl and Mabell interview
Xochitl and Mabell’s home itself was a testament to the strength of their relationship and includes a shrine they activate consistently as a reminder to their commitment. They were incredibly forthcoming about the challenges and victories of being a lesbian couple; they got married during that brief window in California when it was appropriately legal. Their cats were running and playing around in their abundant garden as we talked. Since the video was made, one of their cats passed away, so for them the video is a lasting portrait of not only their love for each other but as a monument of the love they had for their cat as well.
“I’m the first woman in my generation whose gotten married who wasn’t pregnant, who wasn’t being forced to get married...and that’s kind of a big deal - its a really big Mexican family and a lot of my cousins are already married. When I told my Grandma I was getting married, I said the bad news is I’m marrying a woman. The good news is that she’s amazing, and she’s a doctor, and I’m in love, AND I’m not pregnant. She didn’t quite see the humor, but I did.” ~ Xochitle
“I am willing to suffer heartbreak...heartache and sadness in order to have the happiness and the passion and the ecstacy that I also feel. So, you kind of have to ask yourself, are you prepared for that, before you get married, and I am. I think you have a choice...that’s the 21st century twist...and I chose to marry for true love.” ~MaBell