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Attending Law School
Richard John Baker, also known as Jack Baker agreed to marry under the one condition that the union was legal. Baker quit his current engineering job in order to attend the law school at the University of Minnesota. Image Credit:
Photographer- Tobin, Kay -
Fight Repression of Erotic Expression
While in law school, Baker became politically active and became a founding member and president of the Fight Repression of Erotic Expression (FREE) group. While there, he appeared in high-heel shoes in a campaign whose slogan was, "Put Yourself In Jack Baker's Shoes". Image Credit: Fight Repression of Erotic Expression Campaign -
Applied For Marriage License
Upon finding a loophole in the marriage statute of Minnesota (it did not mention gender), the couple applied for a marriage license. However, clerk Gerald Nelson refused to issue the license because they were both men. Image Credit: Minnesota Historical Society -
Gained Recognition
Upon their first attempt to apply for a marriage license, the couple was publicly recognized for their decision and appeared in international headlines. They did several televised interviews and appeared in magazines such as LIFE and LOOK. Additionally, the couple appeared on the Phil Donahue Show. Image Credit: Look Magazine -
Adult Adoption
McConnell legally adopted Baker in Hennepin County. This action brought the couple some of the legal rights of heterosexual couples, such as reduced university fees and inheritance rights. Image Credit: Andrej Koymasky -
Pat Lynn McConnell
After Baker was legally adopted by McConnell, he changed his last name to McConnell and made his first name a gender-neutral one: Pat Lynn, and applied, yet again, for a marriage license. Then they stayed for a while in Mankato, where they had friends, establishing residency in order to get a Blue Earth County marriage license. The office issued the couple a marriage license under the impression that Pat Lynn was a woman. Image Credit: The Advocate -
Getting Legally Married
Finally, the couple got legally married in a small ceremony accompanied by 12-13 guests, a best man, and a minister. Image Credit: State of Minnesota -
Baker v. Nelson
The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the Hennepin County clerk’s decision not to issue the first marriage license the couple had applied for (the ruling became known as Baker v. Nelson). Determined to keep fighting, the couple appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, but it dismissed the case due to a "want of substantial federal question". Image Credit: 1971 Baker v. Nelson Decision
