Same-sex couples officially tie the knot (OC, CA)

The Orange County Register ^ | June 17, 2008 | DOUG IRVING

[TheDon]

...

Sixty gay and lesbian couples had appointments today to get their marriage licenses in Santa Ana and at a second county office in Laguna Hills. Many others were expected to wait in line and get their licenses without an appointment.

The California Supreme Court cleared the way for the same-sex wedding ceremonies in a ruling it issued last month. The ruling struck down a provision of state law that defined marriages only as between a man and a woman.

Opponents of same-sex marriage have turned their attention to a ballot measure in November, which would embed that traditional definition of marriage in the state constitution. Activists on both sides expect to pour millions of dollars into the campaign in the next several months.

A handful of opponents stood outside the old courthouse in Santa Ana this morning and exchanged occasional shouts with the same-sex couples getting married there. Dan Burton, a 56-year-old retiree, held up a sign that warned: "Legalizing sin will not save you on judgment day."

"People need to stand up for what they believe in," he said. "I believe homosexual marriage is a travesty and a pollution of one of our country's most-cherished ideals."

...

[TheDon]

"Opponents of same-sex marriage have turned their attention to a ballot measure in November, which would embed that traditional definition of marriage in the state constitution."

[DesertRenegade]

We have got to organize as many people as possible to oppose this perversion of the institution of marriage. I literally gagged when I saw these freaks on the news calling their bizarre relationship a ‘marriage’. You don’t have to be religious at all to see how truly sick this is.

[Argus]

Our local news covered the “marriage” of the two lesbians who brought the Supreme Court case live, as if it were a Presidential inauguration or something. Some female “rabbi” in a Where’s Waldo beanie officiated, with Gloria Allred in full high-beam mode as the gals’ Matron of Dishonor. It’s obvious that a decision was made at MSM central to feature only the weddings of non-threatening elderly lesbos rather than bearded young cross-dressers, etc., so as to lull the squares and rubes into accepting the big change. The full court press is on.

[blue state conservative]

So when will the media stop using exclusionary, sexist terms like “husband” and “wife” in newspaper articles and on television? And how soon after that will those terms be classified as “hate speech.”

[horse_doc]

They sat on the steps before the doors opened and talked about the enormity of what they and dozens of other same-sex couples were about to do.

Enormity, of course, means wickedness, passing all moral boundries, or outrageous. It doesn't mean, "big, cool, watershed event".

So either these two gay dudes realize what they are doing is wrong, or they can't speak English.

[R. Scott]

There are two kinds of marriage, religious and civil.
A religious ceremony is a contract before God between a man and a woman. A civil ceremony is a contract between two people before the Court.
Let gays go through lawyers, divorce courts, alimony, splitting property etc.

[MoreGovLess]

“There are two kinds of marriage, religious and civil.”

I see many very valid reasons for churches and other religious organizations to concern themselves with what kind of marriage/unions/ceremionies they will conduct, endorse and support. Churches have very strong legal rights to discriminate (as they should): they can refuse to hire someone who is not the right faith or whatever. They can choose/refuse to marry people as they see fit.

I wish the government would just stay out of it. My wife and I agree that we were married when we said “I do” in front of our minister, family and friends, not when the paperwork went throuhg at the county clerk’s. We got a marriage license because it makes many things easier, but the government (or how other people define marriage) has little or nothing to do with it

[R. Scott]

I hope our government stays out of Church affairs - but we both know that somewhere, someone is planning a gay marriage in a church, and if their church doesn’t do it a lawsuit will be next. The first suits will fail (I hope) but it will be costly.