A happily ever after!
It's time to settle down for actor J. August Richards and musician Josh Gbor. The pair announced on Instagram that after getting engaged in February, they have married. The ceremony was held in conjunction with Richards' 50th birthday.
"We got married, y'all," the pair wrote in a joint post (written from Richards's perspective) to Instagram. "For my 50th birthday, I wanted to celebrate the places that historically make me who I am: Africa, the Caribbean, Panama, and the United States."
"The theme was carnival — as if all those places had a single, epic event. We played Reggeaton, Afrobeats, and Gogo. We served shrimp 'n grits, oxtails, and vegan jambalaya," Richards — who has appeared in projects like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Vampire Academy, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff Angel — wrote. "In the middle of the party, we announced that we were getting married and surprised our guests with a wedding. It was the most magical night of our lives."
Josh Gbor is a musician and has a band with his twin brother Jason. The brothers also have a fashion line.
Josh and J. August met two years ago at Josh's birthday party, about a year after J. August came out at age 46.
Though the post was a celebration, it was not lost on Richards that it comes at a perilous time for some Black LGBTQ+ people.
"On the exact same night in Nigeria, 67 people were arrested for attending what police say was a gay wedding," he wrote. "It was a reminder that some of the places that made us who we are, don't always celebrate ALL that we are... Therefore we want to dedicate our ceremony to the people of the African Diaspora and all around the world living in countries where it is illegal or unsafe to be LGBTQ... While I am grateful to be living in a country where I am able to publicly and legally marry my soulmate, we still have so much work to do to ensure the rights and safety of the entire community and our allies. We are grateful to the activists who came before us and praying for the safe release of the 67 human beings arrested in Nigeria."
According to a Reuters report from August 30, Nigerian police raided an event that they allege was a gay wedding and arrested 67 people. CNN reported that 200 were arrested but that 67 will be prosecuted. They were arrested presumably under a 2014 anti-gay law. According to Reuters, the law "includes a prison term of up to 14 years for those convicted, and bans gay marriage, same-sex relationships, and membership of gay rights groups." Amnesty International Nigeria decried the arrests as a "witch-hunt."
Congratulations to Mr. and Mr. Richards!