FIRST GAY WEDDING IN US (This is outrageous!)

sky news ^ | Last Updated: 09:59 UK, Friday February 13, 2004

[gdyniawitawa]

The US city of San Francisco has become the first civil authority in the United States to officially marry gay couples in open defiance of laws banning the practice.

The city, under the orders of new liberal Mayor Gavin Newsom, officially married at least 15 gay couples and issued marriage licences to around a dozen others.

The landmark move in California came as lawmakers in Massachusetts struggled to thwart a court ruling legalising same-sex marriages in the eastern US state.

A pair of elderly lesbians became the first couple to have their same-sex union officially blessed in San Francisco, challenging a state law that bars same-sex marriages.

A city official officiated at the wedding of Del Martin, 83, and 79-year-old Phyllis Lyon after Newsom ordered city staff to issue marriage licences to gay couples.

Instead of calling couples "bride" and "groom", the wedding licence application listed lesbian couples as "1st applicant" and "2nd applicant."

In Massachusetts, meanwhile, state legislators held a second day of heated debate, as they sought to adopt a constitutional amendment that would specifically restrict marriages to unions between one man and one woman.

The move was deemed necessary after the state Supreme Court ruled in November that same sex couples had the right to marry, and that preventing them doing so violated the state constitution

[onedoug]

Yes. Where is the damned Governor?

[evolved_rage]

new liberal Mayor Gavin Newsom

a.k.a. the conservative candidate by his Green opponent, Matt Gonzoles-bian. Gavin just wanted to watch; er, a wedding that is.

[gdyniawitawa]

I would like to know how these bloody politicians can sleep at night or face their families. What they say to them when they go to sleep? This is a total mucking of secret union between man and woman. Marriage is being undermined.

[b4its2late]

The honeymoon will be outrageous too, I bet.

[gdyniawitawa]

Who is Rush?

[PJ-Comix]

I thought the first gay wedding was when Rock Hudson wed Gomer Pyle in Vegas.

[BibChr]

Serious question: can't SOMEONE be jailed/cited/whatevered for breaking the law?

Anyone know?

Dan

[heleny]

Who is Rush?

Rush Limbaugh, the radio talk show host (who has the largest audience in the US)

[demnomo]

Rush: "Here come the applicant...here come the applicant..."

"Do you take this applicant to be your lawful wedded applicant?"

[ANRCHTN]

The Kinsey Data: Marginal tabulations of the 1938–1963 interviews conducted by the Institute for Sex Research

[Monty22]

[Mr. Mojo]

Well, you can dress up a pig and call it your sister

In Sweeden you don't even need to dress it up

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Yes. Where is the damned Governor?"

Waiting for the massive demonstrations opposing this violation of State law by a civil servant I guess.

Any idea when that's scheduled for?

This government is BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, AND OF THE PEOPLE...So THE PEOPLE need to stop waiting for their elected officials to take action, and take action themselves!

I've read where the media is calling this an act of "civil disobedience" by the Mayor, well, I have news for the media, CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE IS NOT AN OPTION FOR CIVIL SERVANTS!

This is not civil disobedience, this is violation of the law by the individual in charge of upholding the law, and this Mayor should be arrested for this.

If the people of San Francisco are not headed up to City Hall with torches and pitchforks, then this whole mess is their damned fault TWICE!

Once for electing this Mayor, and the second for letting her get away with this.

[Publius]

Gary Shandling is one of the applicants?!

[WinOne4TheGipper]

Not when the leaders want the law broken. I wonder if Mayor Gavin would like it if I robbed every bank in San Francisco?

[heleny]

can't SOMEONE be jailed/cited/whatevered for breaking the law?

I don't know, but can you imagine if the mayor of SF decided to command his county clerk to register aliens as voters in state elections?

The issuance would either be unconstitutional, or the registrations would not be recognized. Same with same-sex marriage, which isn't valid or recognized in California.

[Protagoras]

Can I marry my hamster?

Better ask the hamster first.

[presidio9]

Kate Kendell (left), executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Roberta Achtenberg, senior vice president of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, cry as they watch Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin marry at San Francisco City Hall. Chronicle photo by Liz Mangelsdorf

[gdyniawitawa]

How many listeners does he have? Do you have link to his website? (If he has one) Is this lad conservative?

[BibChr]

I'm sure it would be all right, in San Francisco -- if you felt that the law against bank-robbing was wrong.

< /sarcasm >

Dan