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Boston Celebrates Gay Weddings
Annie Goodridge and her partner Hillary Goodridge became the first Boston couple to be processed. The Goodridges were the lead couple in the successful suit to strike down the Massachusetts prohibition to gay marriage. The couple and other who applied today for licenses went immediately to a judge to get a waiver to the three day waiting period to marry in Massachusetts.
Boston Celebrates Gay Weddings
by Michael J. Meade
365Gay.com Newscenter
Boston Bureau
Posted: May 17, 2004 11:01 am. ET
(Boston, Massachusetts) Nearly a thousand people crowded Boston's City Hall Plaza Monday to celebrate the start of gay marriage in Massachusetts.
"I think is one of the happiest if not the happiest day of my life," Joshua Legg of Freedom To Marry told 365Gay.com.
"I'm a man of faith and I feel a lot prayers are answered," said Legg who is single but one of dozens of volunteers from gay groups in the city who helped organize today's party on the Plaza.
In a tent, same-sex couples were enjoying wedding cake. A local baker donated several multi-tiered cakes, each with same-sex wedding toppers. A florist sent hundreds of red roses to be handed out to the happy couples.
The city set up a special information booth on the Plaza where couples were given numbers to mark the order in which they would be served. Inside the building about 20 city workers wearing "welcome" badges were on hand to answer questions.
In addition, the city has printed 3,000 full-color brochures, which included a letter of congratulation from Mayor Thomas M. Menino and instructions on how to obtain marriage licenses.
The brochures will contain information on how to get the three-day waiting period for a marriage license waived by a probate court judge, on finding justices of the peace to perform weddings, and on getting to city and town halls in Boston's suburbs if Boston finds itself backed up.
Several hundred gay and lesbian couples began receiving their applications for marriage licenses shortly after the clerk's office opened at 8:30.
Annie Goodridge and her partner Hillary Goodridge became the first Boston couple to be processed. The Goodridges were the lead couple in the successful suit to strike down the Massachusetts prohibition to gay marriage.
As they swore that the information they had provided on their marriage license application was correct, their 8-year-old daughter wipes tears from her mother's eyes.
As they Goodridge's emerged from city hall a tumultuous cheer went up from the crowd on the Plaza.
The couple and other who applied today for licenses went immediately to a judge to get a waiver to the three day waiting period to marry in Massachusetts.
Extra police have been called in to deal with crowds. Despite a few demonstrators kept away from the Plaza there were no problems.
Boston had considered ignoring a directive from Gov. Mitt Romney to restrict marriage to Massachusetts residents but at the last minute, after advice from the city's legal department decided to abide by the governor's instruction. (story)
Nevertheless, three communities, Provincetown, Somerville, and Worcester say they will grant licenses to out-of-state gay couples. (story)
Boston is one of more than 100 communities around the state where same-sex couples are receiving the forms for marriage licenses. The first city hall to open today was Cambridge at 12:01 this morning. (story)
Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley called on Catholics to remember the church is opposed to same-sex marriage, but he called on people not to protest on Monday.
In a pastoral letter O'Malley said "I remind all Catholics that our sadness at what has happened should not lead us into anger against or vilification of any group of people, especially our homosexual brothers and sisters."
O'Malley has also warned priests not to perform gay marriages .
The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts also said its priests should not officiate at gay weddings.
Reconstructionist Judaism, Reform Judaism, the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Church -- have endorsed gay marriages. Other denominations have left the decision regarding same-sex marriages to individual clergy.
The final legal threat to gay marriage was overcome Friday when the US Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from conservatives who called for an injunction to block same-sex marriages. (story) With no more legal obstacles left, the state will become the first to legally wed gay couples.
Even Gov. Romney a foe of same-sex marriage says he like to attend a gay wedding.
Romney says he was invited to one marriage of gay friends, but won't be in town at the time. He says he anticipates more invitations, and that he'll accept some and will be unable to accept others.
Romney supports an amendment to the Massachusetts constitution defining marriage as the union of a man and woman.
But he says he respects the rule of law.
©365Gay.com® 2004
with files from the Associated Press
by Michael J. Meade
365Gay.com Newscenter
Boston Bureau
Posted: May 17, 2004 11:01 am. ET
(Boston, Massachusetts) Nearly a thousand people crowded Boston's City Hall Plaza Monday to celebrate the start of gay marriage in Massachusetts.
"I think is one of the happiest if not the happiest day of my life," Joshua Legg of Freedom To Marry told 365Gay.com.
"I'm a man of faith and I feel a lot prayers are answered," said Legg who is single but one of dozens of volunteers from gay groups in the city who helped organize today's party on the Plaza.
In a tent, same-sex couples were enjoying wedding cake. A local baker donated several multi-tiered cakes, each with same-sex wedding toppers. A florist sent hundreds of red roses to be handed out to the happy couples.
The city set up a special information booth on the Plaza where couples were given numbers to mark the order in which they would be served. Inside the building about 20 city workers wearing "welcome" badges were on hand to answer questions.
In addition, the city has printed 3,000 full-color brochures, which included a letter of congratulation from Mayor Thomas M. Menino and instructions on how to obtain marriage licenses.
The brochures will contain information on how to get the three-day waiting period for a marriage license waived by a probate court judge, on finding justices of the peace to perform weddings, and on getting to city and town halls in Boston's suburbs if Boston finds itself backed up.
Several hundred gay and lesbian couples began receiving their applications for marriage licenses shortly after the clerk's office opened at 8:30.
Annie Goodridge and her partner Hillary Goodridge became the first Boston couple to be processed. The Goodridges were the lead couple in the successful suit to strike down the Massachusetts prohibition to gay marriage.
As they swore that the information they had provided on their marriage license application was correct, their 8-year-old daughter wipes tears from her mother's eyes.
As they Goodridge's emerged from city hall a tumultuous cheer went up from the crowd on the Plaza.
The couple and other who applied today for licenses went immediately to a judge to get a waiver to the three day waiting period to marry in Massachusetts.
Extra police have been called in to deal with crowds. Despite a few demonstrators kept away from the Plaza there were no problems.
Boston had considered ignoring a directive from Gov. Mitt Romney to restrict marriage to Massachusetts residents but at the last minute, after advice from the city's legal department decided to abide by the governor's instruction. (story)
Nevertheless, three communities, Provincetown, Somerville, and Worcester say they will grant licenses to out-of-state gay couples. (story)
Boston is one of more than 100 communities around the state where same-sex couples are receiving the forms for marriage licenses. The first city hall to open today was Cambridge at 12:01 this morning. (story)
Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley called on Catholics to remember the church is opposed to same-sex marriage, but he called on people not to protest on Monday.
In a pastoral letter O'Malley said "I remind all Catholics that our sadness at what has happened should not lead us into anger against or vilification of any group of people, especially our homosexual brothers and sisters."
O'Malley has also warned priests not to perform gay marriages .
The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts also said its priests should not officiate at gay weddings.
Reconstructionist Judaism, Reform Judaism, the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Church -- have endorsed gay marriages. Other denominations have left the decision regarding same-sex marriages to individual clergy.
The final legal threat to gay marriage was overcome Friday when the US Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from conservatives who called for an injunction to block same-sex marriages. (story) With no more legal obstacles left, the state will become the first to legally wed gay couples.
Even Gov. Romney a foe of same-sex marriage says he like to attend a gay wedding.
Romney says he was invited to one marriage of gay friends, but won't be in town at the time. He says he anticipates more invitations, and that he'll accept some and will be unable to accept others.
Romney supports an amendment to the Massachusetts constitution defining marriage as the union of a man and woman.
But he says he respects the rule of law.
©365Gay.com® 2004
with files from the Associated Press
For more information:
http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/05/051704b...
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