On July 5, Mark Jiminez and Beau Chandler applied for a marriage license they knew they’d never get.

Texas, where the two men live, has a ban on same-sex marriages—and officials who issue licenses can face criminal charges. The Dallas County clerk teared up when they explained how they’d met and how in love they were, but she couldn’t give them a marriage license.

So Jiminez and Chandler sat down on the records office floor, handcuffed themselves together, and refused to leave until they were granted license to wed. When the police arrived, the two men were arrested and hauled to jail.