The King County Administration Building opened just after midnight last night to start issuing marriage licenses under the new marriage equality law.
“Tonight you are making history,” said Executive Constantine to the first group of couples at a special midnight ceremony. “Not only our legislators but the people of this state have said every person is entitled to equal treatment. This advances our law in the state of Washington, and brings us one step closer to that first ‘self-evident’ truth announced by our nation’s founders: That all are created equal.”
In the ceremony at the King County Recorder’s Office, the Executive administered the oath and signed the marriage licenses for 11 same-sex couples recommended by community leaders. The first license he signed was for Jane Abbott Lighty and Pete-e Petersen of West Seattle, a couple who co-founded the Seattle Women’s Chorus and who will be getting married during a Seattle Men’s Chorus concert on Dec. 9.
That was the initial announcement. It’s now up to hundreds of same-sex couples. Follow @kcnews on Twitter if you want a bit of a lift — they’re updating regularly with announcements and stats from King County.
I grew up there! And it feels good to say so!
Listening to the stories and the officials bending over backward to accommodate all of the couples does make me proud to be a Washingtonian today.
Also, the Seattle Police Dept. supports the idea of ordering a pizza, popping in a Lord of the Rings marathon, and enjoying the finest weed in South Farthing.
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/Seattle-police-address-new-Wash-marijuana-law-4095252.php
This makes me happy.
I am proud to have contributed many hours to this campaign. We need to export our success to other states, perhaps nearby Oregon next.
When New York passed marriage equality, the mayor of Albany started performing marriage ceremonies at 12:01 AM on the day the law took effect. It’s a sweet way to celebrate an awesome achievement!
My home state, both where I was born and where I now reside, is Oklahoma. It occasionally makes a progressive move. But on this issue, it was one of the first to move AGAINST gay marriage. Of that, I am not proud.
As with so many other issues, Oklahoma will have to be pulled kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
Good for you, Washington State and King County.
Wait, there’s a real person called Executive Constantine?
In the 22nd.
This is a great day for freedom and equality! You have a right to be proud to be from Washington.
I officiate weddings here in Arizona. I can’t legally marry anyone here and there are so many ossified old Republican retirees here that I don’t expect legalization in the foreseeable future. A neighbor of ours flew his flag upside down for a couple of days after the election. That’s the prevailing attitude in a state governed by “the wicked witch of the west.”
I’ve done several unofficial commitment ceremonies for same sex couples who wanted the emotional benefits. Eventually, we will progress I’m sure.
Reading the news release gives me goose bumps. What a wonderful sign of hope for the future: hundreds of loving couples lined up in the cold and dark to get their licenses for the next step in their commitment to each other … I can hardly hardly comprehend how our society has been so twisted as to ever deny anyone the right to that burst of happiness, but at least the future now looks as if sanity and equality can win out. Everywhere, I hope.
The best thing about all of this is with marriage equality voted in by popular mandate and with thousands of gay and lesbian couples on the verge of tying the knot, society is just going to go on without a hiccup. Maybe there will be a few caterers living better because of the shindigs post-wedding. Maybe there will be some changes in bridal fashion (less meringue, perhaps). Never
And in 5 years or so, the conservatives will be left to explain why the wheels didn’t come off as they had predicted. It will be yet another thing about which they were simply wrong. And I doubt we’ll hear so much as a “Never mind.”
I live on Capitol Hill here in Seattle and today people are walking around with huge smiles on their faces. A good day today.
Bravo Washington! I admit to being extra happy about this ’cause my gawd-bothering brother moved to Seattle recently, and I bet this pissed him off royally. And anything that annoys him is double-plus good.
My wife read something recently that she passed on to me, but I don’t know the attribution. Someone remarked that it was appropriate that Washington legalized pot and same sex marriage at the same time. For as it says in the Bible, if a man lies down with another man, they should be stoned!
I hope the first couple married under the new law are named Adam and Steve.
Terrible news everyone! My brother and his church have started a prayer campaign to overturn these immoral new laws. And we all know just how effective prayer can be.
@15 I read
in teh voice of Prof. Farnsworth. Damn you.
Anyway, I am also proud to be a native and resident of Washington state. I’m not very old, but I have lived here all my life and can finally now see some of my friends be happy.
*the voice.
Grr.
Rip Steakface
‘teh’ is a perfectly cromulent variant spelling of ‘the’.
I am delighted to say that one of my co-workers will be marrying her partner of many years at City Hall on Sunday afternoon. Now, if only I could find Mr. Right….
Washington has a reputation of supporting more liberal causes, so this is not surprising.
“On November 3, 1970, Washington voters approved Referendum 20, which legalized abortion in the early months of pregnancy. Fifteen other states had liberalized their abortion laws by that time, but Washington was the first — and so far the only — state to do so through a vote of the people.”
I’m proud of the progressive Washingtonians who have fought to bring about these changes.
@16
I’ve been properly damned by church-going family and friends, 5 deacons, 2 pastors and a full-on bishop (funny hat and all), what do you think you can accomplish that they didn’t?
Getting the government to approve same-sex marriage — meh.
Getting government employees to work after hours — HOW DID THEY DO IT?
@jonjermey #22 – It has been pretty much the employees going to their bosses and saying, “I want to be a part of this.” Many counties authorized overtime for last night’s marathon license issuing, with salaried employees chosing to come in without added pay so that the hourly workers who wanted to help could also come in (according to state and federal law, hourly employees must be paid.)
All of the judges, clerks and other civil officiants who will be working on Sunday(*) are coming in for free, on their own time. The buildings will not even be heated, as the city and county do not have the budget to fire up the furnaces; that hasn’t stopped anyone.
(*) Washington has a “sobering up” period between when a marriage license is issued and when it can be used, 3 days in our state. That means licenses issued today, on the 6th, can be used on the 9th. Once they go into effect, the are good for 60 days.
For some reason, I was very touched by this photo.
Fantastic news. Bravo to Washington! Welcome to the Century of the Fruitbat!
=======
Speaking as a government employee who spent 41 days away from home this summer at forest fires, as a government employee who regularly works weekends and holidays, and as a government employee who has, many, many times, stayed well after my shift, without pay, to help park visitors, get bent.
I have mixed emotions about this.
Firstly, great joy and happiness for Washingtonians getting married and finally being afforded the civil rights they were entitled to; allied to the expectation that this civil rights success will be a juggernaut that will eventually become the law in all the country.
Secondly, a deep and satisfying sense of schadenfreude at the discomfiture and rage of the millions of American conservative religio-bigots wallowing in their slimepit of hatred and bellowing impotently.
If I were a better person, I would have stopped at “Firstly”