October 15, 2009 10:07 PM UTC

A different sort of "congressional spouse" story

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• by: sandra fish

When Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, moved to Washington, D.C., earlier this year as the first openly gay man elected to Congress, he didn’t go alone.

Accompanying him was his partner of six years, 28-year-old Marlon Reis. While Polis may be in the spotlight, Reis finds himself mistaken for a staffer or someone’s son.

Reis offers up his take on the life of a congressional spouse as part of CNN’s continuing freshman year series about Polis and fellow freshman Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Nevada.

Among his observations:

Rarely has anyone seen me for what I actually am. I don my “Congressional Spouse” lapel pin proudly and hope each time not to be questioned, yet I still receive sideways glances and orders to produce an official ID. It is as if my story is too unbelievable to be true, that I am an interloper, someone in a place I do not belong.

He adds this about his unique situation:

I am excited to be here with Jared on the front lines, making history and fighting the good fight. It fills me again with hope when I remember that we are only the first in what will be a long line of openly LGBT legislators; people who come to serve our country rightfully and with the respect they deserve.

And Polis notes in his introduction to the piece that the life of a congressional spouse may be more difficult than that of the congressmember.