Home>News Center>World
         
 

US: San Francisco officials marry gay couples
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-02-13 08:50

In an open challenge to U.S. California law, city authorities performed at least 15 same-sex weddings Thursday and issued about a dozen more marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.

By midafternoon, jubilant gay couples were lining up under City Hall's ornate gold dome and exchanging vows in two-minute ceremonies that followed one after another.

US: San Francisco officials marry gay couples
Alexander Westerhoff, front, of Manchester by the Sea, Mass. and his partner Thomas Lang, back, chant together at the Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston, Feb. 12, 2004, while the State legislature meets in the constitutional convention to debate a proposed amendment against same-sex marriage at the Statehouse. Westerhoff ahd Lang has been partners for 16 years. [AP]
"Today a barrier to true justice has been removed," said Gavin Newsom, newly elected mayor of the city considered the capital of gay America.

No state legally sanctions gay marriage, and it remains unclear what practical value the marriage licenses will have. The weddings violate a ballot measure California voters approved in 2000 that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The move by San Francisco's mayor came as lawmakers in Massachusetts continued to debate a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in that state, where the nation's first legally recognized same-sex weddings are set to take place this spring under a ruling from the Massachusetts high court.

The assembly-line nuptials began with longtime lesbian activists Phyllis Lyon, 79, and Del Martin, 83, who were hurriedly issued a married license and were wedded just before noon by City Assessor Mabel Teng in a closed-door civil ceremony at City Hall. The two have been a couple for 51 years.

About 30 couples crowded outside the San Francisco County Clerk's office awaiting licenses, many arm in arm. One of the women, wearing a white wedding dress and veil, encouraged couples to shout out their names and how long they had been together.

"I understand there are wrinkles that need to be worked out, but as far as I'm concerned, we will be married," said Molly McKay as she and her partner of eight years, Davina Kotulski, stood at the clerk's counter.

During one of the weddings, performed before TV cameras, the vows were rewritten so that "husband and wife" became "spouse for life."

A conservative group called the Campaign for California Families called the marriages a sham.

"These unlawful certificates are not worth the paper they are printed on. The renegade mayor of San Francisco has no authority to do this," said Randy Thomasson, executive director. "This is nothing more than a publicity stunt that disrespects our state law and system of government itself."

San Francisco officials insisted the licenses are legally binding and would immediately confer new benefits in everything from health coverage to funeral arrangements.

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer had no comment.

The gay marriages were timed by city officials to outmaneuver the conservative group. The group had planned to go to court on Friday to stop the mayor's announced plans to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. But city officials struck first.

Lyon and Martin said after their brief ceremony that they were going home to rest and did not plan anything to celebrate. The couple seemed proud of what they had done.

"Why shouldn't we" be able to marry? Lyon asked.

The mayor was not present at the morning ceremony but later presented Martin and Lyon with a signed copy of the state constitution with sections related to equal rights highlighted.

The two official witnesses were Kate Kendell, director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and former city official Roberta Achtenberg.

The conservative group fighting gay marriage has also sued to try to block California's domestic partner law, which then-Gov. Gray Davis signed in September.

That law expands the rights of gay couples in areas ranging from health coverage and parental status to property ownership and funeral arrangements.



USS Park Royal crew await for Rice
Coffin of Milosevic flew to Belgrade
Kidnapping spree in Gaza Strip
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement

 

   
 

Banker: China doing its best on flexible yuan

 

   
 

Hopes high for oil pipeline deal

 

   
 

Possibilities of bird flu outbreaks reduced

 

   
 

Milosevic buried after emotional farewell

 

   
 

China considers trade contracts in India

 

   
  Journalist's alleged killers held in Iraq
   
  No poisons found in Milosevic's body
   
  US, Britain, France upbeat on Iran agreement
   
  Fatah officials call for Abbas to resign
   
  Sectarian violence increases in Iraq
   
  US support for troops in Iraq hits new low
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Forget same-sex marriage; now it's same-person marriage
   
Mass. ruling boosts same-sex marriage
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: a级在线免费观看| 亚洲卡一卡2卡三卡4麻豆| 荡乱妇3p疯狂伦交下载阅读| 国产色综合久久无码有码| 一本大道AV伊人久久综合| 日本不卡免费新一区二区三区| 亚洲人成中文字幕在线观看| 波多野结衣无限| 免费观看中文字幕| 美女把尿口扒开让男人桶到出水| 国产女主播喷水视频在线观看| 在线私拍国产福利精品| 在线综合亚洲欧美自拍| 一个人看的视频在线| 成人精品视频一区二区三区尤物| 久久只有这才是精品99| 最近免费观看高清韩国日本大全 | 精品一区二区三区视频| 国产1000部成人免费视频| 青青草在视线频久久| 国产无遮挡又黄又爽在线观看| 1卡2卡三卡4卡国产| 国产高潮视频在线观看| AV无码久久久久不卡蜜桃| 好男人好资源影视在线| 不卡高清av手机在线观看| 新人本田岬847正在播放| 久久久久国色av免费观看| 日韩中文字幕视频在线| 久草资源在线观看| 最近中文字幕免费版在线3| 亚洲一区二区观看播放| 欧美日韩乱国产| 亚洲日韩aⅴ在线视频| 欧美黑人巨大xxxxx视频| 亚洲综合激情另类小说区| 特黄特色大片免费播放路01 | 24小时免费看片| 国产精品线在线精品| 88国产精品欧美一区二区三区| 国产青草视频在线观看免费影院|