About 200 LGBTQ couples participated in what they referred to as “largest illegal mass wedding ever held” in Cleveland Saturday.

The couples attended the ceremonies in support of marriage equality legislation in Ohio. Tom Morgan, state lead organizer of GetEqual Ohio, said he believes in complete marriage equality.

“What we’re fighting for is what every American wants: love, family, commitment and someone to take care of you,” Morgan said. “My love is no different than straight love. I’ve been with my partner for 14 years, and in the eyes of the state we’re roommates, and we’re much more than that.”

Morgan said he does not approve of civil unions as a substitute for same-sex marriage.

“To me civil unions are not an option, and they are infuriating. They are less than and not equal to marriage,” Morgan said. “Separate is not equal. Anything less than full federal equality is not something we’re interested in.”

Freshman fashion major Frankie Varian is openly gay and opposes marriage equality, although many of his peers disagree with his views.

“As far as I’m concerned, marriage is defined as a union between a man and a woman,” Varian said. “ [But] I’m not saying there shouldn’t be something in place for homosexual couples that has the same sanctity and benefits such as insurance and adoption.”

Varian said his opinions are influenced by same-sex unions popular in Europe, known as PACs, and he feels members of the LGBTQ community should find their own identities separate from those of straight people.

“Before all of the marriage equality movements, we were different, and there’s nothing wrong with being different,” Varian said. “It seems to me that gay people want to give up their special form of love to conform to something that doesn’t even want them.”

Senior nursing major Timothy Lewis said he supports marriage equality, but opposes a definite link between marriage and the church for everyone.

“I’m not religious, and if I want to get married I’d rather the union not have the same name as heterosexual marriages, but the rights should be the same,” Lewis said. “There should be equality under the law for everyone.”

Lewis said he believes that the reasons for marriage are basically the same and should be treated that way.

“People argue back and forth so much about the point of marriage, but as long as two people love each other it shouldn’t matter,” Lewis said. “As long as both people have consented and are of age, love is love.”

Morgann Blackwood, graduate sociology student, said she believes civil unions are not a substitute for marriage and she supports complete marriage equality.

“There’s no such thing as separate but equal,” Blackwood said. “We should have already learned that from civil rights movements in earlier decades. Legislatively we may not be ready for marriage equality, but I think culturally we are.”

Contact Drew Parker at [email protected].