Gay couples in Wash. start taking wedding vows

December 10, 2012 @ 1:15 am

Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) - Keith Bacon and Corianton Hale wore dress shirts as they recited their vows at Seattle City Hall, as the city hosted more than 100 weddings on the first day same-sex couples could marry in Washington state.

A few hours later Sunday, the happy couple had changed into matching t-shirts that read "Looks Like We Made It."

"It's tremendously meaningful," Hale said. "It's really powerful to have the official approval and exact same rights as all of our heterosexual friends."

For Bacon and Hale, and the scores of other gay and lesbian couples that chose to marry in a very public venue, they said they wanted to share with others the significance of the day.

"It's not very private, but very historic," said Deb Needham of Renton, who married her partner of 14 years, Nancy Monahan.

Last month, Washington, Maine and Maryland became the first states to pass same-sex marriage by popular vote. They joined six other states _ New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont _ and the District of Columbia that had already enacted laws or issued court rulings permitting same-sex marriage.

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and Secretary of State Sam Reed certified the election results of Referendum 74 on Wednesday afternoon, and the law took effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday. Same-sex couples who previously were married in another state that allows gay marriage, like Massachusetts, will not have to get remarried in Washington state. Their marriages became valid here as soon as the law took effect.

The referendum had asked voters to either approve or reject the state law legalizing same-sex marriage that legislators passed earlier this year. That law was signed by Gregoire in February but was put on hold pending the outcome of the election. Nearly 54 percent of voters approved the measure.

Hundreds of gay and lesbian couples picked up their marriage licenses as early as 12:01 a.m. Thursday, but because of the state's three-day waiting period, the earliest weddings could take place was just after midnight, early Sunday morning. In King County, home to Seattle, more than 600 same-sex marriage licenses were issued by Saturday.

Some courthouses, including in King and Thurston Counties, opened right at midnight, and started marrying couples.

While numerous weddings were taking place across the state, both private and public, the city hall weddings were the largest public event, with more than 130 couples taking part. The city set up five separate chapels to accommodate the revelers. Starting at 10 a.m., cheers and applause regularly broke out as another couple's marriage became official. Weddings were held until 5 p.m.

After couples married, they exited city hall, greeted by a steady rain and by dozens of supporters who cheered them with shouts of "congratulations" and flowers as they descended a large staircase down to the street.

"I don't even have words for this," said Caren Goldenberg of Seattle, who married her partner of seven years, Casey Evans. "It just makes me really proud of my city."

The law doesn't require religious organizations or churches to perform marriages, and it doesn't subject churches to penalties if they don't marry gay or lesbian couples.

Married same-sex couples will still be denied access to federal pensions, health insurance and other government benefits available to heterosexual couples because the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA, bars federal recognition of gay unions.

The U.S. Supreme Court said Friday it will take up gay marriage sometime during the current term. Several pending cases challenge the federal benefit provision of DOMA, and a separate appeal asks the justices to decide whether federal courts were correct in striking down California's Proposition 8, the amendment that outlawed gay marriage after it had been approved by courts in the nation's largest state.

___

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(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (18)


  • Add A Comment

  • demo wrote...
    Way to go Washington!
    November 8, 2012 2:57 pm
    I'm proud of our state and the stand they have taken in support of marriage for all adults who love each other.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • imanegro wrote...
    Gross
    December 6, 2012 11:49 am
    How embarrassing for Washington state. Homos and potheads, real nice.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    Agree demo
    November 8, 2012 8:15 pm
    Time to turn the tide against the Neanderthals in this country. Homophobic, racist republican neanderthals.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CupofJoe wrote...
    longwayhome, aren't you glad..
    December 5, 2012 10:01 pm
    that there isn't really a homophobic racist republican neanderthal..or a homophobe..or a racist..or a republican..or a neanderthal actually trying to destroy gays? Now mind you, I don't agree with the religious definition of marriage being applied to a gay union...but aren't you glad it doesn't matter what I think? The majority has spoken through their votes. It's a beautiful thing to have that privilege...aren't you glad??
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    @cupofjoe
    December 5, 2012 11:07 pm
    "aren't you glad.. that there isn't really a homophobic racist republican neanderthal..or a homophobe..or a racist..or a republican..or a neanderthal actually trying to destroy gays?" ---- I don't think longwayhome claimed that there was. Nor has most gay rights supporters. What they have claimed is that these folks have tried and in many cases succeeded (hopefully only temporarily) in preventing gays from having the very same rights that others do. And often done so in quite blatantly hateful, bigoted and homophobic ways (no not all, but many). What I don't get is that the very folks who claim thier constitutional rights to be Christians are all to often the same folks who wish to deny those very constitutional rights to other groups. In this case, it's gays. Gays have the Constitutional right to equal protection under the law, just like any other citizen. Laws preventing gay marriage are a violation of that Constitutional guarantee (yes, I know that the supreme court has not ruled on the issue yet, but MANY lower courts have ruled that way and that's how these cases are getting to the supreme court in the first place - those folks who demand that anti-gay marriage laws be allowed are not willing to accept the rulings of the courts). So I don't get it - 'how dare they demand to get the same Constitutional rights I have' seems to be thier mantra.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • imanegro wrote...
    Dear homo so-called marinesgt
    December 6, 2012 11:56 am
    This is just gross. What a terrible message to send kids. If you're going to open the door to homos and pot, why stop? Let's require the state to protect every kind of sex and drug- let's stop discriminating altogether. Forget any standard of behavior.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    @iamanegro
    December 6, 2012 6:55 pm
    Talk about something that's gross and a terrible message to send to kids - go look at your own comments and your personal insult method against the person you don't agree with. THAT's far worse dude. Far, far worse.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • imanegro wrote...
    Personal insults?
    December 6, 2012 9:01 pm
    Such as your comments above, quoting: "blatantly hateful, bigoted and homophobic..." That sounds more like a "personal insult method" than my comment. I think the behavior of homos is gross and I disagree with the new law because the state is now compelled to protect that behavior. So now I ask you: Why stop with homosexual behavior? Why stop with pot? If we choose to chip away at a traditional standard of acceptable behavior, why stop with homo and pot?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CupofJoe wrote...
    @Big Sarge
    December 10, 2012 12:22 am
    Marriage (the religious institution) between same sex couples is a fairly new concept for our culture and religion. Right or wrong, religion is a very strong part of a person's or culture's make up. I doubt that gay marriage weighed heavily on the founding fathers fighting for independence. Conversely it was taxes, go figure. The mantra of a Constitutional right to Gay marriage is what it is, pure bologna. But you're free to interpret or twist the Constitution, religion, and marriage as you see fit. I just find it a bit arrogant that you expect people to change their religious beliefs. As a Marine you should know what other cultures are compelled to do for theirs. Luckily, we have a very politically correct culture and the courts benches are filled with activists. The winds are blowing in your favor. If someone denies your rights to seek employment, vote, get a drivers license, buy a house, have sex, own a firearm, pursue happiness, or exist in general, just hire a half decent lawyer. Don't settle once the Constitutional and biblical definitions of marriage are changed in our country, take the fight to the Middle East; those cats are real sticks in the mud.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • C"mon Man wrote...
    Correction:
    November 8, 2012 9:52 pm
    King County Voters tell rural voters how it will be.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • wsualumn wrote...
    C"mon
    December 5, 2012 3:47 pm
    The "rural" voters will hear that everyone will be treated equally and there is freedom in the state. People won't be denied their pursuit of happiness.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sometimesrock wrote...
    ha
    December 5, 2012 3:48 pm
    Good thing those rural voters don't have to get gay married if they don't want to.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    @C'mon Man....
    December 5, 2012 6:37 pm
    "King County Voters tell rural voters how it will be." ------ Yup. Suburban voters have been doing that since the time when more people lived in the cities and suburbs than in the rural spaces. Nothing new there. Been that way on the east coast for many, many, many years.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • don over taxed wrote...
    Requirement
    December 6, 2012 10:20 am
    I believe on all these marriage license applications, they should be required to indicate who the husband is.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cigarfan wrote...
    Idaho
    December 6, 2012 6:09 pm
    Right-wing nut cases can always move to Idaho or Arizona. I hear the "Mein Kampf" community is not happy with the recent elections.............
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ted Bundi wrote...
    "I really imagined my life as being just with a partner and never having a wife,.."
    December 6, 2012 6:31 pm
    I find this odd, we have been married for 32 years, I've just always considered her my partner in life.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    cupofscrambledbrains
    December 9, 2012 7:45 pm
    Not quite sure what you meant to get across in your post, but to answer your question, yes, I'm glad that the citizens of the U.S.A. have the right to form a marriage union and have the same rights as traditional marriages. As far as your own opinion on this subject, you are as entitled to it as I am to my own. (Maybe you shouldn't post so late at night)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CupofJoe wrote...
    Sounds like a zombie breakfast....yumm
    December 9, 2012 11:24 pm
    Really wasn't trying to get much across except that you sound like a bitter ungracious winner (as far as the vote went). I believe the issue is going to be addressed by the big court and my prediction is that it's going to go your way. Thank you for recognizing my right to an opinion. I'll try to post earlier on my off days, but to be honest with you this isn't my top priority. (all post submitted by this user are for entertainment purposes only)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }