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 Linda Thomas
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Linda is the morning news anchor and features reporter for KIRO Radio. This is her local news blog, with an emphasis on social media, technology, Northwest companies, education, parenting, and anything else that grabs her attention.

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Michelle-Lily.jpg
From Seattle City Hall and elegant hotels, to churches and homes across the state, many of the 1,000 same-sex couples who received marriage licenses last week are now wed. Lily West and Michelle Odo's married life is just beginning.(Photo by Sandra Coan Photography, presented by Vows Wedding and Event Planning)

A wedding day that was 'better than a dream' in Seattle

December 10, 2012 @ 5:18 am (Updated: 8:33 am - 12/10/12 )

An elegant ceremony at the Four Seasons in Seattle was the kind of wedding many little girls imagine. For Michelle and Lily, reality is better than a dream.

Saying their vows and celebrating with a kiss in front of their friends, Lily West and Michelle Odo's married life is just beginning.

"We met in college 13 years ago, Michelle moved up to Seattle first," Lily says.

"No, 14 years, ago," Michelle interrupts. "We've been together 15 years."

"Well, okay," Lily smiles.

They act the same as any couple who playfully bickers about how long they've been together.

The wedding backdrop of tulle, crystal and candles looks like any other ceremony at an upscale hotel. So, even they were surprised that the day seemed to change them.

"It means more to me than I expected," says Lily.

Both women are in their 30s.

They had a civil commitment ceremony this summer, but now that they are legally married in Washington, Lily finds herself more emotional on her wedding day than she thought she would be.

Her feelings pop up like bubbles in champagne.

"Oh God," she says with a sigh of relief after the ceremony. "I feel probably what everyone feels on their wedding day. I'm lucky, and happy and snuggly. I just want to go home and be together all the time.

Lily says she's also feels something new. She never really fit in in school, and has felt discrimination because she's a lesbian, but not anymore.

"Just knowing that we're now included - and I don't think either one of us were big on being included in school or whatever - feels better than I ever thought it would."

Michelle says their wedding, for her, was a political statement.

"Not that it's a 'take it to the streets' kind of politics," she explains. "It was important to us to get the license on the first day and get married on the first day just to be part of the numbers and to show how this legislation affects as many people as it does."

Also at the Four Seasons last night, Dick Francisco witnessed his first gay wedding.

He was born in Seattle 95 years ago, and he's seen a lot of changes to his city.

"Welcome everyone. We're here on this glorious day to celebrate the love that Jordan and Danny have for one another, and to recognize their decision to marry."

Francisco's grandson Jordon Rayburn, married the man he wants to spend the rest of his life with, Danny Schaub.

He watched the ceremony from his wheelchair. It's a spot he's earned as a former Marine Colonel who's been through three wars.

"I'm old school, you know," he says.

Francisco is a member of the greatest generation, with an attitude that's more like the current generation's than his own.

"You either stay away or you give them all the support you can, and I feel I'll give my family all the support regardless of the situation," says Francisco.

He never thought there would be a day when two men or two women could get married.

"It's about time, he says. "You can't stop progress. Seattle is a wonderful place and we all have to either get with it or get out."

Although Washington joined eight other states that allow same-sex marriage, there could still be challenges to the state's new law.

The U.S. Supreme Court will take up gay marriage during the current term. Several pending cases challenge the federal benefit provision of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages.

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.

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (50)


  • Add A Comment

  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Liberal media we have heard and seen enough of this!
    December 10, 2012 6:30 am
    Homosexuals and their supporters finally have their wish. They now have this regime calling their unions "Marriage". How long before our "Constitution Scholar" Dear Leader Obama makes this a right for Homosexuals and their unions as marriage an amendment to our US Constitution?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Drool wrote...
    No Ammendment
    December 10, 2012 9:23 am
    As it will be deemed a right under the current Constitution, IMO.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Iwillbeatyourass wrote...
    Hopefully not long!!! Come on Obama make the right choice!
    December 11, 2012 7:07 pm
    Don't worry it'll be on the us constitution soon! It's a disgrace it's not already. Aren't we the land of the free? Why discriminate against gays? It's bs it's not already on there and that we go based off some dumb book called the bible written hundreds of thousands years ago
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    "we all have to get with it or get out"
    December 10, 2012 6:52 am
    The words of tolerance from the left, which means diversity of opinion will not be tolerated.

    Nice touch bringing a 95 year old progressive into the misandrist rant. It just shows that progressives were just as ugly 95 years ago as they are today.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    Oh wow............there was a story today on Gay marriage...
    December 10, 2012 7:42 am
    imagine that....will this never go away or will KIRO make this a life long obsession. So what is the next poster child for the liberal media?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • flipper wrote...
    The next KIRO Story?
    December 10, 2012 9:07 am
    The Supremes and DOMA.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    @mnpat
    December 10, 2012 10:42 am
    Relax MN. It's not everyday that a long denied civil and Constitutional right is made legal. Obviously ANYTIME that a long denied right is made legal, it's going to get massive coverage. Soon, once the bloom is off the flower (so to speak) and the 'newness' of this right is diminished, the heavy coverage BY ALL NEWS MEDIA (not just KOMO) will decline to a minimal level. What I find hilarious is how much time and effort that the anti-gay marriage and anti-gay rights folks are spending catterwalling about how much time and effort that the news media is spending on the issue. You could just simply ignore the stories and not force yourself to get all worked up - but I guess obsession is part of the anti-gay makeup of some folks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Old Timer wrote...
    Oh wow............there was a story today on Gay marriage
    December 10, 2012 7:53 am
    It's not just kiro you cant turn on the tvor read the paper without seeing how great it is to be a pervert
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    @Old Timer
    December 10, 2012 10:50 am
    Yup. It's not everyday that a civil and Constitutional right is no longer blocked from being given to a social minority. OF course it's going to be news everywhere. For a while. Then when it's no longer 'new', it will get no more coverage than hetero marriages and hetero sex does. What does amaze me though is the amount of time and energy that anti-gay and anti-gay marriage folks put into complaining about the coverage of it, when it would be easier for them just to ignore the stories. Must be an obsessive-compulsive factor in the makeup of many of the anti-gay folks. It's the only think that I can see that could make them do this.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • justanotheridiot wrote...
    Linda does another...
    December 10, 2012 8:12 am
    gay artical? Mind is blown. (By another dude of coarse). Syria is getting ready for chemical warfare and everybodies taxes are getting to go up and this lady is concered about bull dikes.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TheNewsChick wrote...
    Prepare to have your mind blown again
    December 10, 2012 8:56 am
    Got facts? I do. The last "gay article" I wrote was on October 26. Between that story and this one there have been more than 60 "non gay" stories. This lady is concerned about a lot of things.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • R L M 456 wrote...
    here is a fact
    December 10, 2012 10:03 am
    "A Seattle couple finds themselves more emotional than they thought they would be when they got married on Marriage Equality Day."

    Gay marriage Equality Day???

    Who declared THAT as a day Ms. Linda

    Get ready

    Brandi K will have another Gay story soon

    can't let Linda Beat her in the count of gay Stories

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    @theNewsChick
    December 10, 2012 10:48 am
    These complainers are funny. They complain about the amount of gay marriage coverage, can't get the facts right AND obsessively read and respond to these stories.... It's as if there was an obsessive/complusive element to many of these folks who want to complain about it but just can't stop themselves from reading all that comes out on the issue....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BeenThere wrote...
    Sarge....Your right, it is funny.
    December 10, 2012 1:10 pm
    People complaining.....about other people complaining.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • flipper wrote...
    Interesting...
    December 10, 2012 8:59 am
    that in the Male Male photos both are generally dressed in suits but in the Women Women photos I've seen, at least one is wearing pants.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cw1997 wrote...
    Could We Just Say
    December 10, 2012 9:16 am
    Enough!!!! This story line is getting a bit STALE. I cannot wait until we get to hear about three people getting married to each other because they really love one another. It would be especially interesting if there was one man and two women or whatever. Now there is story line. Just watch it will be coming to a TV station soon.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Brian Oblivion wrote...
    They will be crowing about this.....
    December 10, 2012 9:23 am
    as long as the media pushes the story. Their next goal: the legitimization of pedophilia.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Yup. It's not everyday that a civil and Constitutional right is no longer blocked from being given to a social minority
    December 10, 2012 11:19 am
    Poser Sgt. When was it ever Constitutional for Homosexuals to be joined in Same Sex unions?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Correction.
    December 10, 2012 11:26 am
    I meant to say, a Constitutional right.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HLC wrote...
    Back when the Constitution was written people had moral values.
    December 10, 2012 11:35 am
    Now that seems to be diminishing in this country. At least among those that voted this time. The writers of the Constitution I'm sure never imagined there would be so many sexual perverts in their country.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Iwillbeatyourass wrote...
    Perverts?
    December 11, 2012 6:50 pm
    Just because your gay it doesn't mean your a pervert. Way to stereotype you jack a s
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Iwillbeatyourass wrote...
    Get some facts
    December 11, 2012 6:54 pm
    Look at the statistics, More straight men rape little children then gays. Oh so should we now take away straight marriage? You should die
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }