'The Gay JP'

For three years, Don Gentile worked tirelessly with the organization Love Makes a Family lobbying for the state to recognize gay marriages, helping with grassroots organization, fundraising and Eat, Drink and be Married events.

In October 2008, when he and his partner were driving to a family reunion in Vermont, they heard that Connecticut would recognize gay marriages. Though they already participated in a commitment ceremony, they immediately began planning their wedding to coincide with their 20th anniversary together.

“I never expected it to go through,” said Gentile. “I was shocked that it passed.”

But Gentile faced a new reality. “My partner asked me what I would do with all the extra time off from Love Makes a Family and I said ‘I think I’ll become a Justice of the Peace.’”

JP’s as they’re called, are generally appointed from a pool of political party insiders. Gentile, being an independent, had to submit to a lottery and was one of two chosen from a round of 16. Their main function is to perform marriages, though they can also notarize documents, take depositions in civil and probate cases and administer oaths to office holders.

Earning his stripes in January 2009, he began to market himself as "The Gay JP", specializing, of course, in gay weddings, some of which are performed at his digs in Branford, which feature immaculate gardens (see photos).

“There aren’t a lot of JPs or clergy specifically targeting the gay audience,” he said. “They’ll put on their websites that they’re ‘gay friendly’ or that they ‘welcome all.’”

Gentile recently discovered that an ancestor, Corporal John Moss, who helped found Wallingford in the mid 1600’s, also served as a JP.

Branford is a particularly convenient place to ply his trade. Individual towns set their own rules for marriages and in Branford, there’s no waiting period, no blood test, no requirement to produce witnesses.

And the Town Clerk, Marianne Kelly, is also helpful.

“In our office, we deal with deaths, births and marriages – lots of death, since we’re a hospice town,” said Kelly. “We’re always happy to see Don. His couples are usually nervous and they’ll whisper that they want to get married and we’re always excited to share in the moment. We celebrate any marriage; it’s always a very happy, special day in a person's life and we want people to feel comfortable.”

His operation has started to grow to the point where same sex marriages have become an economic force in the town. Marriages have skyrocketed from 191 during the 2008-2009 fiscal year to 739 in the 2009-2010 year, said Kelly, but she doesn’t have a breakdown of how many of those were performed by Gentile, who has begun to take on more roles than just the guy who pronounces a couple married.

He can accommodate up to 20 people at his home, so he will cook for the guests or outsource the catering, flowers and photography. He often refers guests to and to Assagio Ristorante.

“It’s taking on its own life and seems to dovetail nicely with my hobbies, like gardening, cooking and entertaining,” he said. “I love being around people and being part of that moment. It’s a cliche that if you do something you love, success will follow and I’m beginning to believe that.”

If interested in Don's service, visit him online at www.thegayjp.com.