Dozens of gay couples get married in California

SAN FRANCISCO - Dozens of gay couples were married Monday after a historic ruling making California the second state to allow same-sex nuptials went into effect. At least five county clerks around the state extended their hours to issue marriage licenses, and many same-sex couples got married on the spot.

"These are not folks who just met each other last week and said, `Let's get married.' These are folks who have been together in some cases for decades," said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "They are married in their hearts and minds, but they have never been able to have that experience of community and common humanity."

The really big rush to the altar in the nation's most populous state was not expected to take place until Tuesday, which is when most counties planned to start issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of couples from around the country are expected to seize the opportunity to make their unions official in the eyes of the law.

Local officials are now required to issue licenses that have the words "Party A" and "Party B" where "bride" and "groom" used to be.

In 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 lesbian rights activists Del Martin, 87, and Phyllis Lyon, 84.

Well-wishers cheered when they emerged outside Newsom's office after the ceremony.

Dozens of couples gathered outside the clerks offices in Alameda, Sonoma and Yolo counties, where hours were extended to accommodate gay couples who wanted to be among the first to marry.

Derek Norman, 23 and Robert Blaudow, 39, from Memphis, were in the Bay Area for a conference and decided to get married at the Alameda County clerk's office.

"We might wait a long time in Tennessee, so this is our chance," Blaudow said.

First in line to pick up a marriage license in Sonoma was Melanie Phoenix, 47, and Terry Robinson, 48, of Santa Rosa. They have been together for almost 26 years and plan to be wed in August.

"It's an historic occasion," Phoenix said. "I never believed it was really possible until Gavin Newsom took the first step in 2004."

A throng of well-wishers and news media surrounded a lesbian couple as they were married in a Jewish ceremony in front of the Beverly Hills courthouse.

The ceremony was broadcast live on three newscasts in Los Angeles.

The couple wept and pressed their foreheads together, and onlookers whooped as the marriage became valid.

加利福尼亚许多对同性恋恋人结婚

加利福尼亚州成为历史上第二个承认同性之间可以举行婚礼的法令生效后，许多对同性恋恋人在周一举行了婚礼。至少5个县的政府官员有需要延长发送结婚证书的时间的问题，很多同性恋人还是立即举行了婚礼。

国家女同性恋权利中心执行董事代表Kate Kendell说没有那个乡亲刚刚遇到对方就说我们结婚吧。也许这些乡亲已经在一起生活了十年了。他们是真心真意的结婚但是他们从未得到大众的承认。

在这个全国人口最多的州，预期周二不会发生真正的措不及防。

大多数县计划开始签发结婚证书给数百人或数千人的同性伴侣，这些人从全国各地赶来抓住机遇使得他们的关系被官方法律承认。

政府现在必须把结婚证上面原来使用的新郎新娘这些字眼用A方B方

来代替。

在旧金山，纽森市长帮助发起的一系列诉讼导致法院打破了加利福

尼亚的一男一女结婚的法律。

他们在纽森办公室仪式后出现并欢呼。

许多情侣聚集在政府办公室外的林荫小道里。在sonoma和yolo那些想先结婚的情侣们被延迟了

23岁的德里肯诺曼和39岁的罗伯特从孟菲斯来，分别在湾区参加一个会议，并在阿拉米达政府办公室决定结婚。

罗伯特说，我们也许在田纳西等得太久了，这是我们的一个机会。

首先得到结婚许可证的是在sonoma市的是47岁的 Melanie Phoenix和48岁的Terry Robinson，他们在一起差不多有26年了，计划在八月结婚。

Phoenix说这是一个历史时刻，我不敢相信那是真的，直到纽森在2004年走出了第一步。

一群祝福的人和新闻媒体包围了一对女同性恋夫妇，他们将在比佛利山庄法院前举行一个犹太式的婚礼。

这个仪式在洛杉矶被现场直播

这对夫妻相拥而泣，前来祝贺的人都认为他们的婚姻有效。

【Translate by nicola】