SAN FRANCISCO — Dozens of gay couples were married Monday night after California became the second state to allow same-sex nuptials, offering a preview of the euphoria and anger to come as gay couples from across the nation head west to wed.
At least five county clerks across the state extended their hours to honor specific couples or to mark the historic occasion, and many couples exchanged vows on the spot. The May 15 California Supreme Court order overturning bans on same-sex marriage became final at 5:01 p.m.
The big rush to the altar was expected today, when most counties planned to start issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of couples nationwide are expected to seize the opportunity to make their unions official in the eyes of the law.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who helped launch the series of lawsuits that led the court to strike down California’s one-man-one-woman marriage laws, presided at the wedding of Del Martin, 87, and Phyllis Lyon, 83.
Newsom picked the couple for the only ceremony Monday in City Hall to recognize their 55-year relationship and their status as pioneers of the gay rights movement. More than 650 same-sex couples have made appointments to get marriage licenses in San Francisco before the end of the month.
As a printer churned out a license with spaces for “Party A” and “Party B” where “bride” and “groom” used to be, Newsom called officiating at Monday’s wedding “this extraordinary and humbling gift.”
The celebrations were tempered by the reality that in a few months, Californians will go to the ballot box to vote on an initiative that would overturn the high court ruling and once again ban gay marriage.
On Monday, just hours before the ruling went into effect, a conservative legal group asked a Sacramento court to order the California agency that oversees marriages to stop issuing gender-neutral marriage licenses. A hearing was scheduled for today.
Three lawmakers and a small group of other foes of same-sex marriage gathered outside the Capitol to criticize the Supreme Court decision.
A UCLA study issued last week estimated half of California’s more than 100,000 same- sex couples will get married over the next three years, and 68,000 out-of-state couples will arrive to exchange vows. California has no residency requirement for marriage licenses, and that is expected to draw a great number of out-of-state couples.
Some of those out-of-state couples are likely to demand legal recognition in their home states, setting the stage for numerous court battles.
