As you’ve heard by now, due to the California Supreme Court ruling on May 15, same-sex marriage became legal in the State of California yesterday. Break out the champagne! Hundreds of same-sex couples turned out to put on paper what they’ve known in their hearts for what seemed like forever: they loved someone who loved them back.
Although a ballot initiative that’s headed to California come November could render their unions null and void, for many who headed down to the courthouses (who stayed up late to accommodate couples), they’re satisfied with the fact that they made history.
Among the newlyweds that solidified their unions was Star Trek actor George Takei who married his longtime partner Brad Altman and Phyllis Lyon, 84 and Del Martin 87,who tied the knot after 55 years together.
The Los Angeles Times reported that over 2300 marriage licenses had been issues statewide, the vast majority of those to same-sex couples.
The statewide average for a weekday in June is 460, according to a Times survey of all 58 counties.
Los Angeles County issued 648 licenses and performed 279 wedding ceremonies, Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said. That is well above the daily average of 133 licenses in June.
In Orange County, 121 couples received licenses, up from an average of 30. San Diego County issued 230 licenses, surpassing its old record of 176 set on Valentine’s Day 2005.
As usual, there are opponents of gay marriage and they came out in full force.
Opponents of gay marriage, largely anchored by Christian fundamentalists, have not given up their fight to overturn last month’s California Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex unions. “We are silent today, but we’re just biding our time,” said activist Rosalyn Strode who heads Bakersfield Citizens Opposed to Obscenity and Lewdness. “We’ll have our say in November.”
The initiative campaign proposes to amend the state Constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. It received $250,000 this week from an evangelical group, Focus on the Family, and declared that the debate about same-sex marriage “is not over.” Focus on the Family, led by the Rev. James C. Dobson, posted a statement on its website declaring that California’s “judicially imposed social experiment has hastened the demise of religious freedom across the U.S.”
It goes against my journalistic integrities to insert my opinion in a place where I am reporting news, however I can’t help myself regarding this issue: I cannot understand how anyone, especially so-called “Christians” who follow a creed that teaches love, trust and compassion can somehow possibly wedge themselves between two people who want a piece of paper that solidifies their life together. For now at least, same-sex couples have California law on their side, so hooray for them!
Among the biggest meccas for same-sex couples were the courthouse in Beverly Hills, a makeshift wedding center in a West Hollywood park, the clerk’s office in Norwalk and San Francisco City Hall.
Top photo by rick via Flickr, second photo by JP Puerta via Flickr
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