What If This Happened to You?

It's been a year since Tom Bridegroom died. Shane Crone and Tom were life partners, but not allowed to marry. When they told their parents they were a couple, Tom received nothing but grief from his parents, including being assaulted by his father. Tom's mother came and claimed his body, cutting his partner out of all arrangements. He was not allowed to attend the funeral, though he was told he should pay the costs for transporting the body. He was not mentioned in the obituary. He was told that if attended the funeral that these good Christian relatives intended to harm him.  Something as simple and inexpensive as a marriage license would have changed this. It wouldn't bring Tom make to life, but it would mean his husband couldn't be cut out by a vindictive, bigoted family.