Mario & Monte Foreman-Powell

Mario and Monte met and fell in love while attending church in Colorado. Mario is a Senior Airman in the U.S. Air Force. The couple are raising a young child, and they’ve shared their story about family-building widely on their social media channels. They live now in Hawaii.

“We believe our marriage is not only a celebration of our love and commitment but also a vital foundation that ensures our family’s rights and stability,” the couple writes. “Marriage equality allows our relationship to be recognized and protected under the law, giving our children the same security, legitimacy, and sense of belonging that every child deserves.”

“As Black gay dads raising multiracial children, representation matters deeply to us. Our marriage has given us the legal and emotional grounding to build our family with confidence and hope. It’s because of those protections that we’ve been able to expand our family through surrogacy – first with our daughter, and now as we continue our second surrogacy journey. Each step of that process has reminded us just how essential marriage equality is in securing the rights and recognition every family should have.”

Watch this video featuring Mario and Monte and their growing family: