This month, Hulu will premiere Patrice: The Movie, a powerful documentary that spotlights one New Jersey woman’s fight for marriage equality within the disability community. The film, produced by ABC News Studios, follows the story of Patrice Jetter, a school crossing guard who dreams of marrying and living with her partner, Garry Wickham. However, due to both Patrice and Garry receiving Social Security disability benefits and Medicaid, their desire to live together or marry comes at a steep cost—losing the financial support they rely on to survive.
The documentary, which debuts on September 30, delves into what it calls the “next phase of marriage equality” as it examines the systemic barriers that prevent disabled individuals from fully participating in the institution of marriage. In the trailer, Jetter passionately states, “I want to get married. I want to be able to live in the same house as my spouse.”
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The issue at the heart of the film is the so-called “marriage penalty,” a rule that reduces or cuts disability benefits for couples who choose to marry or cohabitate. For Patrice and Garry, love endures despite the financial challenges. “They can stop us from getting married, they can stop us from living together, but they’re never going to stop us from loving each other,” Garry says in the film.
Patrice: The Movie is directed by Ted Passon, who has known Patrice for over 30 years. In a press release, Passon highlighted the injustices faced by many disabled individuals: “If you’re lucky enough to find the person you want to be with, but you collect Social Security or Medicaid, you’re forced to choose between being with your partner or your survival.”
The couple’s struggles go beyond the marriage penalty. During the film, as Patrice and Garry try to raise funds for a commitment ceremony, Patrice’s wheelchair-accessible van breaks down. Unable to repair it, she is forced to quit the job she worked so hard to secure. As a condition of her disability benefits, Patrice is not allowed to have more than $2,000 in her bank account, making it nearly impossible to replace the van she desperately needs.
Despite these overwhelming obstacles, the couple forges ahead. According to the film’s synopsis, Patrice rallies her friends to support a bill in Congress that aims to eliminate the marriage penalty, a policy that impacts millions of disabled Americans.
Passon described Patrice’s journey as both deeply personal and universal, adding, “Patrice’s story is unfortunately very common. We’re telling a very ordinary story but through the lens of a person who is, herself, completely extraordinary.”
The documentary premiered earlier this year at the Toronto International Film Festival and will begin streaming on Hulu on September 30. It captures not just the present-day challenges Patrice faces but also the history that shaped her. Through creative scenes from her life, including reenactments featuring children and herself, viewers see how Patrice’s past informs her current fight to protect her job, home, and relationship.
As Congress debates the future of the marriage penalty, Patrice: The Movie presents a timely and heartfelt look at the intersection of love, disability rights, and the ongoing struggle for true equality.