How Lance Bass and Michael Turchin used their wedding to champion marriage equality and how, 10 years later, they're still fighting.
At a photo studio in Los Angeles the morning after the Academy Awards, Lance Bass and his husband, artist Michael Turchin, walk in with the energy that in no way betrays they had been at Elton John's famous Oscars party the night before. Between sets, they flirt with each other and exchange inside-joke smiles, their glow more newlywed than seasoned spouse — a testament, perhaps, to the joy they've built together. If it weren't for the fact that *NYSYNC posters adorned my bedroom walls when I was 14, you wouldn't have been able ot convince me that Lance Bass is even old enough to have been married for 10 years.
But yes, it's been 10 years since their wedding — a moment that not only marked the beginning of their marriage but also became a landmark in LGBTQ+ representation.
When asked if this is what he had expected life to look like back then, Lance leans back, a nostalgic smile creeping across his face. “Ten years ago, I was hoping that we would have exactly this,” he says, motioning toward Michael. “With time, things can fade but somehow, I'm still so madly in love with this guy,”
Their journey began 14 years ago, with early conversations about love and family setting the foundation for their relationship. “One of the first things we talked about was having kids,” Michael recalls. “That was always the goal. And now, here we are.”
Cut to home footage — twin toddlers giggling as they run through the house, their laughter filling the air. It's the life Lance and Michael dreamed of — one filled with love, chaos and a seemingly never-ending supply of toys scattered on the floor.
“Our whole relationship has been a roller coaster of emotions when it comes to marriage equality,” says Lance. “It has been a fight to have equality for everyone else, and being a public figure — a gay public figure — it was important for us to share our message of love. Usually, we're pretty private people, but we knew that we wanted everyone to see our relationship. You really don't change your opinion until you know a gay person.”
“That why, when we got married, we did the E! special,” adds Michael, referring to the televised event that aired on February 5, 2015, showcasing their wedding planning journey and the wedding itself, held at the MacArthur in Los Angeles — the first-ever same-sex wedding to air on cable television.
“At first, we did not want to do it at all. We were like, reality TV … it's the kiss of death. And then we realized there's a bigger purpose. It's not about us; it's about showing this,” Michael says, taking Lance's hand.
Lance notes how he and Michael intentionally positioned themselves as familiar faces, a “poster couple” for the pivotal rights movement sweeping the nation at the time. “We wanted to come into your homes via our social or on television and show you that we're just normal people.”
Reflecting on their wedding day, they recognize the weight it held. Their wedding wasn't just a personal celebration: It was a cultural milestone, a responsibility that they didn't take lightly. “We obviously wanted to be as authentic as possible, but we also didn't want to do or say anything that might, God forbid, paint the community in a bad light,” says Michael, reflecting on their time shooting the special and the immense pressure that it held. “We wanted to make it a positive love story.”
As one of the earliest high-profile sam-sex weddings, Lance and Michael found themselves rewriting the rules. “When it comes to weddings, you grow up watching traditions (who walks down the aisle, who officiates) but we had to ask, ‘What traditions do we want to keep, and what do we want to change?'” says Lance.
Michael smirks, recalling one of Lance's more extravagant ideas. “He wanted our flower girls — literal Sports Illustrated models — to wear dresses made of actual flowers that they could pluck and toss as they walked by. I had to reel him in on that one.”
Lance throws his head back in laughter, “Yeah, that was pretty gay.”
Their wedding set new trends, many of which are now common in modern celebrations. “We didn't have just kids as flower girls, we had friends. And officiants? We chose two of our best friends. You see that all the time now,” Michael notes.
“The gay community has always been the trendsetters,” adds Lance. “We're the artists.”
While their love for each other has only strengthened, becoming parents has brought out new layers in the couple's relationship.
“We're still a union. I still have these crazy ideas, especially with the kids,” Lance admits.
“Oh gosh, it's worse now!” Michael interjects.
“I just want to create these magical memories for our kids, all these things that you dream of and then you realize nothing's ever going to be perfect,” says Lance.
Michael laughing, adds, “They're two years old, they're not going to remember this! He sets the bar way too high, way too young.”
Despite the playful debates, their partnership in parenting remains strong. “You have to adjust, sacrifice, and learn from each other. And in the end, it makes you a better, more well-rounded person,” explains Michael. “It goes back and forth, and you grow together and become new people.”
Though their love has remained steadfast, the political climate has not. Which is nothing new for their 14-year relationship, which has endured the battle over Proposition 8 in their home state of California — which was eventually overturned in 2013, paving the way for same-sex marriage in the state and, ultimately, national marriage equality in June 2015.
“We originally discussed maybe we shouldn't get married until everyone is allowed to get married, because it didn't seem fair. California did pass, and we were able to legally get married in our state, but until it was federally recognized, we're like, No, let's just wait,” says Lance. “But then we thought, Wait a minute. Let's show people that we can get married and give people hope out there. And hopefully that would then help move the compass forward and to make it federal right thereafter.”
Reflecting on the state of LGBTQ+ rights in 2025, Lance's tone grows somber. “I did not think in 2025 we'd still be fighting,” he says. “It's ridiculous. The pendulum swung forward and now it's swinging back. But the amount of hate we feel today It's worse than 10 years ago. This is the first time I've actually felt danger, and I didn't feel that 10 years ago.”
Because of this, they've resorted to hiding their kids' faces on social media. “I've never thought I'd have to do that,” continues Lance, who never had an issue sharing his family on social until recently. “But now it's a scary situation, and I didn't think we were going to get here. They go after your kids and that hurts. You never want to see your kids be talked about like that.”
“I think, of course, we're going to survive this. Things always progress, but it's just so much misinformation and a lot of hatred, and it feels like cults are being born and people aren't using their brains,” he says with exasperation. “It is just a very weird, scary time.”
As public figures, Michael and Lance have seen firsthand how misinformation fuels fear and discrimination. [Marriage equality] is an easy hot topic that distracts from everything else they're doing in the administration,” Michael adds. “It riles people up, it's a ‘look over there' issue, when we should be paying attention to what they're doing with healthcare, with childcare, with schools.”
Despite these challenges, they remain hopeful. “We have to remain positive,” says Lance. “We can't show that we're scared — we want to show that we're not going to back down.”
“[The LGBTQ+ community] is a very strong community. A community of fighters,” notes Michael.
And even though LGBTQ+ people may once again be, as Lance puts it, “the enemy of the state,” this couple still believes in the power of love.
“Marriage is all about partnership. At the end of the day, it's just a piece of paper, yet many people miserably stay in a relationship just because they don't want to break the a contract. We've never looked at it that way,” says Lance. “It's a partnership and it's always going to be.”
“We choose each other [every day] and keep each other happy,” adds Michael.
Team of Talents
Creative Production: Brittny Drye
Photography: JJ Ignotz
Videography: Hyperplane Media
Venue: Verge Studios
Styling: Karlie Meija
Assistants: Katherine McClintic and Emily Rochotte
*This article originally appeared in Love Inc.'s V10 print issue, now on shelves. Find a retailer near you.
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