Gay Couples Begin Marrying In Portland Ore.

Agnes Sowle, the county attorney, said a review of state law led her to "conclude that the Oregon Constitution prohibits the county from discriminating" against same-sex couples for the purpose of marriage. Sowle said she also obtained a concurring opinion from an outside legal counsel.

The county, which includes the city of Portland, becomes the second community on the west coast to let gay and lesbian couples marry.

The first couple to receive a marriage license was Christine Tanner and her partner. Tanner won a landmark Oregon Court of Appeals ruling in 1998 requiring all state and local governments in Oregon to offer spousal benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of their employees.

As quickly as the clerk's office processed each license, the couples moved to a nearby hotel where retired Oregon Supreme Court Justice Betty Roberts performed the marriages.

The licensing and marriage ceremonies were shrouded in secrecy until this morning. Last night, several Portland media outlets. citing unnamed sources, reported the county would begin issuing licenses this morning, but no one would confirm the reports (story)

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