John Anderson & Garrett Stack
John Anderson (left), 64, and Garrett Stack (right), 60, of Woodbridge, have built a life together for nearly 28 years. Garrett, a Connecticut native, met John at an education conference in 1980, and they settled in Garrett’s Woodbridge home two years later. After committing so much of their adult lives to one another, John and Garrett want to memorialize their commitment in a marriage and attain the financial and legal security that only marriage brings.
“I met someone, fell in love, and we have built a life together for nearly 28 years,” said Garrett. “That’s why I want to get married until death do us part.” Added John: “We’re getting older and as we become more vulnerable physically, it is even more important to us to have the financial and legal security that only marriage brings.”
Both men are passionate supporters of public education, and they have dedicated their careers to the public school students and their families in nearby Stratford. Garrett spent 35 years as a teacher and then school administrator, recently retiring after 12 years as the principal of the Franklin Elementary School. In June 2005, John retired after 20 years of teaching Latin at Stratford’s Bunnell High School.
John and Garrett have taken the legal steps available to them to secure certain protections, including obtaining a civil union. They still face limitations, however. They cannot share their retirement savings with each other as they could if they were married. And because Garrett first owned the home they have now shared for the last 24 years, they cannot place their largest asset in both their names because of gift tax consequences, even though they have shared all the maintenance and mortgage costs. That very significant tax burden is not imposed on a married spouse. Finally, as they age, they face an uncertain health future which they view with greater trepidation in light of the obstacles that often face gay couples in times of medical emergencies, such as being denied hospital visitation.
According to John, having a civil union makes them “legally second-class.” They know that only marriage can provide them with the comfort, respect, and security they seek.
Today, Garrett hosts two Saturday night shows on a Connecticut public radio station. One is called “Broadway Bound,” which features music from the American Musical Theater; the other, “American Jukebox,” presents classic pop from the 1950s and 60s. In addition, John pens a regular column on gay and lesbian life for The New Haven Register.