<p>By using queer theory to study heterosexual marriage, historical archaeologists can destabilize hegemonic and often oppressive understandings of what is “normal” in favor of highlighting how individuals in the past negotiated the circumstances of their lives. In this article, the marriage of May and Warren Cheney (1883–1921) is examined via the lens of queer theory to analyze how their partnership differed from the ideal “male-breadwinner” model of the period. This brings to light the strategies used to manage home life and family responsibilities vis-à-vis Warren’s disability and May’s career and, in so doing, draws attention to Warren’s unexpected contribution to the physical environment of the family home in Berkeley, California. Given continued contemporary debates over gendered identities and work/life balance, the use of queer theory to examine historical marriages like the Cheneys’ shows how far society has come, and how far it has yet to go.</p>