Open thread: Marriage Equality in the Golden State

Here in LA

ABC local had a short live feed of Marriage case plaintiffs Robin Tyler and partner, Olsen,, in wedding whites at the registrar window in Beverly Hills.  They will be first down here.  
Then immediately a switch to a pre done feature about the marriage amendment  interviewing a handful of people in conservative Orange County about same sex marriage....all against it.  One woman was uncomfortable saying "they have their domestic partnerships, they can visit each other in the hospital...but marriage is between yadda yadda"
Now back to the wedding ceremony outside the court how live on tv.
Congrats Robin and partner, and thanks.

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 19:06:38 PM CDT

Will be second wedding in California

Seems like enough time is passing so that the SF marriage of Del and Phyllis will be the historic first.

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 19:09:04 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Live in Beverly Hills

Someone was yelling in the bg "you're going to burn in hell" then it stopped.
Now I can hear the sound mixer switched the feed to the rabbi's mike only.

(can't get into chat)

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 19:15:59 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Now showing the reception for Del and Phyllis

in the lobby of the SF city hall.
Local commentator said marriages were taking place in 5 counties tonight.
LA, SF, Alameda, and I'm not sure which the other 2 are.
Mayor Dellums is officiating marriages in Oakland tonight.

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 19:27:28 PM CDT

Other 2 counties are Yolo and Sonoma with ceremonies tonight

Across the bay in Alameda County, the county clerk's office in Oakland is planning to stay open until 8 p.m. to issue licenses and marry couples; it is one of a few clerk's offices in the state to do so on Monday. In Sonoma County, the wine-rich region north of here, 18 couples are scheduled to be wed on Monday evening, including Chris Lechman, 37, and Mark Gren, 42, who called to book their nuptials shortly after the court's decision.

"We've been on pins and needles," said Mr. Lechman, who celebrated the 15th anniversary of meeting Mr. Gren on Monday. "We are thrilled to be part of history."

Janice Atkinson, the Sonoma County clerk, said her office was planning to stay open late for the rest of the month to accommodate what she expected would be a heavy load of same-sex weddings. On Sunday, Ms. Atkinson and staff members attended a gay pride celebration in Sonoma to hand out applications for marriage licenses to prospective newlyweds.

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 19:53:57 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Another anti court filing.

This is the first I read of this.  This filing is different from the Randy Thomonson Campaign for Children and Families (unless you are a gay child or family).

Groups ask court to halt gender-neutral marriage licenses

Associated Press - June 16, 2008 8:24 PM ET

SACRAMENTO (AP) - A conservative legal group has asked a Sacramento court to order the California agency that oversees marriages to stop issuing gender-neutral marriage licenses.

Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation says his group filed a petition Monday on behalf of county supervisors from four California counties.

The petition argues the state Department of Public Health failed to hold legally required public hearings on the licenses and claims legislators must amend state marriage laws before the licenses are valid.

Clerks in several California counties began issuing the licenses just after the state Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage took effect at 5:01 p.m. Monday.

The five supervisors backing the challenge are from Yuba, Stanislaus, Nevada and Sutter counties.

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 20:00:51 PM CDT

This is beautiful…

I am just so overwhelmed.  I am a Canadian-American sitting in Albemarle County, Virginia reading about marriages being performed in my last home county: Sonoma County, California.  Congratulations to all of the gay and lesbian couples who married today.  Congratulations to the thousands of people whose efforts made it possible.  What you have achieved ranks amongst the most beautiful things I have seen in my lifetime.

Even if, just as with abolition, interracial marriage, desegration, women's sufferage, etc., Virginia will take its place amongst the the states forced into recognition of civil rights at long last by federal action, what you folks in California have accomplished, both in state politics in your personal lives, is important and gives me hope.  One day even my local friends will stand tall, truly equal.

Even if the hate groups triumph, there will be people who remember your commitment to your chosen spouses and your commitment to equality.  My best wishes (and donation dollars) go out to keeping you free.

Congratulations and best wishes!!!

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by: pgraydon @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 20:32:15 PM CDT

From one of the CBS videos:

First wedding in SF, Del and Phyllis, together since 1950

James Dobson from a Larry King interview:

Many, many homosexuals are not committed for life. The research shows that they have as many as 300 to 1,000 partners in a lifetime. Why would they want to commit themselves to a binding relationship that prevents that.

 

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by: Emproph @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 21:22:27 PM CDT

Poor Daddy D

I'm sure he'll be wearing sackcloth and ashes for a while.  I guess we'll see soon enough if this means the end of civilization as he's stated many times before while performing his Chicken Little routine.

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by: Jon Michaels @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 02:06:39 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Correction...

We'll soon see if this accelerates the end of civilization.  

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by: Emproph @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 04:59:20 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

They look more frail than in 2004

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by: NancyP @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 10:14:13 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Congratulations to the happy couples!

And to all Californians who have achieved equality under the law today!

"Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain" -- Iowa state motto

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by: Sportin' Life @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 21:47:29 PM CDT

Agreed.

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by: Emproph @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 22:01:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

photos from the wedding

I was one of the sweating people inside the mayor's office for Del and Phyllis' wedding.  Lots of people not enough room, they don;t use A/C in San Francisco.

So sorry for being a luddite right now but I put some of the photos on my blog, misswildthing.blogspot.com if you want to see live and inside.

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by: miss wild thing @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 23:04:36 PM CDT

live link

here ya go: live link to miss wild thing's blog!!.  very exciting that you could be there - thx for the pix!

Click HERE and sign up: Campaign For Military Partners.

Lurleen on Twitter.

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by: Lurleen @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 00:10:45 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thanks so much, miss wild thing,

for the pics and commentary on your blog, especially the snapshots.

I read a poignant thing in one of the news articles today about those pastel pants suits which Del and Phyllis wore for their first wedding in 2004, as well.  The pants had to be taken up in order for them to fit now because they have lost so much height in the intervening years.

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by: Pollyanna @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 01:23:37 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

FINALLY!

So sweet to see such joy.  Can't wait to go to San Francisco City Hall tomorrow to see it in person.

AND regardless of what happens in November, there is no precedent for nullifying marriages that were legal when performed.

AND we are going to defeat that ballot initiative in November, anyway.  (Get ten friends to go out and register some voters & donate to equalityforall.com!  Then tell them to get ten friends each to do the same.  )

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by: chiefscribe @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 00:12:51 AM CDT

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a historic day for all GLBT persons. Just think, today, another 12.5% of the American popultion now has full equal rights under state law.  We now need to work hard to gain equality on a federal level.  Thanks to all of you who helped to get us to where we are today, and thanks to all for your dedicaated tenacity in this difficult fight as we continue to forge ahead.

But for today, let's just celebrate.  I am just so happy I am beside myself.


vanhattan

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by: vanhattan @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 00:51:01 AM CDT

Good News...AND, This good news from Oregon.

The hate groups have given up to repeal the new gay laws here.

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/...

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by: Wes @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 03:05:43 AM CDT

Daddy D

Would he decide that heterosexuals don't deserve to marry because half of their marriages fail and heterosexuals are promiscuous, abandon and abuse their children?

  Should we CONCLUDE that heterosexuals are unworthy of parenthood because of how many children are in foster care, on welfare, are murdered in custody disputes or who end up in gangs?

 Should we measure the state of marriage by who actually gets married and always has, or by those who haven't and couldn't up until now?

 Why are conclusions reached for the whole of gay people by worst case scenarios? Heterosexuals wouldn't and don't like it done to them, nor would it be any more accurate then the information they keep asserting regarding gay lives.
The hypocrisy, contradiction and illogic is all over the place. Frankly schizophrenic, in fact.

 Gay folks have been around longer than any religion, and are not such a mystery, unknown, scary or threatening. Especially to those of us smarter and who have gone further than other's fear will take them.

   I love Diane and Robin! They are huggable, strong and deserve this day.
I'm advising the opposition to learn how to say his husband and her wife.
His husband, her wife. I really like the sound of that!

   

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by: Regan DuCasse @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 06:45:41 AM CDT

Love the Specter of Feinstein

looming over these couples.  They could have had the decency to cover that monstor up.  She does not support same sex marriage and blamed Gays and Gavin Newsome for Kerry loosing in the 04 election.  And she owes her entire carrer to the death of George Moscone and Harvey Milk. Couldn't anyone have found a bag?

On the other hand...  

We are picking up our liscence on Thursday afternoon and plan on taking pictures of the protesters if they are still there.  I've never been the actual object of a picket, so the shots will look great in our wedding album.  We plan on simply saying "thanks for comming out today" as we pass them.

Everyone I know is asking me why I am so giddy lately and it really is an unexplainable thing.  The reality of the Dream is so much more than the Dream itself.  Gay Weddings for ALL!!

The trollish sounding blogger formerly known as BURNSEY

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by: R.K. Wright @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 07:36:42 AM CDT

Thanks, for the chuckle, Burnsey

I noticed the head floating in the picture and it scared me.

It should have been taken down or thrown outside for the Westboro pigs to play with since they all pretty much agree with each other.

We are picking up our license today...I'm happy about it...but I'm also very sick to death of being part of a circus to still have only a state recognized token of equality.  

Cameras, crazy haters, and all kinds of people eager to take my money to help me "celebrate" do not make me feel victorious.  

Good luck to you...and all of us.  We will need it.

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by: Patrick @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 09:29:12 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Getting Married next Friday

at 11:00 am in the AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park.  A lot of my friends are immortalized there and I thought there would be no better place to honor those who can't share in this with us.  Feel free to drop by, and wear something Orange or lime green, those are our colors.

PEACE

The trollish sounding blogger formerly known as BURNSEY

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by: R.K. Wright @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 11:07:24 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Congrats to you and your partner, Burnsey

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 13:16:40 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Wow, your wedding place will be so blessed!

What a wonder way to celebrate your love to your partner and have a tribute to all your loved ones who moved to the other side.

CONGRATULATIONS!

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by: Juan @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 13:42:25 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Congrats!

That's a wonderful place, and a truly awesome memorial.

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by: Darkrose @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 14:00:42 PM CDT

[ Parent ]