After many years together across two countries, Alcibiades Lazaro Ramirez Gonzalez and Yannier Vazquez Hidalgo decided suddenly two months ago to tie the knot.

The men called their enthusiastic family members to gather in a Clay courtroom.

In the photos, “Yan” and “Alex” are beaming, surrounded by sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews. Yan held a bouquet of peach roses.

The marriage of two men is not easily accepted in Cuba, a country they fled for America in 2021 and 2022. The two work together at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Yan is a janitor. Alex is a supervisor in the same department. The men bought a house together in North Syracuse.

They both had requested asylum protection in the U.S. and had recently passed an immigration test required to prove there is a credible threat to

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