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San Francisco's Same-Sex Couples Granted Marriage Licenses First-in-the-Nation Move is Heralded as a Major Breakthrough City Officials Follow a Directive Set in Motion by the Mayor National Center for Lesbian Rights |
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"Just as we told the state in 1974 when they passed a statute limiting marriage to a man and a woman, that kind of discrimination against same-sex couples violates the California constitution's promise of equality. Discrimination in marriage was wrong then and it's wrong now," said Tamara Lange, staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California. Lesbian and gay couples began gathering late this morning at the County Clerk's office following an announcement by the mayor's office indicating that they would begin issuing licenses Among the first to be married were Del Martin, 83, and Phyllis Lyon, 80, who have been together for more than 50 years. Martin and Lyon met in Seattle in 1950 and began dating in 1952. They moved to San Francisco in 1953. The two women founded the Daughters of Bilitis, the first national lesbian rights organization. "Phyllis and I demonstrated our commitment to one another more than half a century ago," said Martin. "Today, San Francisco has demonstrated its commitment to us through equality and fairness." Also receiving marriage licenses were Sarah Conner, 35, and Gillian Smith, 34, of the Bay Area. Conner, born in Minneapolis, moved to California in 1992 to pursue graduate studies at the Graduate Theological Union and is now the Manager of Stewardship and Information at California Pacific Medical Center Foundation. Smith, born in Brooklyn, N.Y., moved to the Bay Area in 1991 and is currently the Finance and Administration Associate at the Women's Funding Network, a San Francisco non-profit. "Before we met, neither of us believed in love at first sight," Sarah Conner. "However, when we locked eyes for the first time, we were proven wrong. Our first four years together have flown by, and have been filled with what already seems like a lifetime of challenges, personal achievements, romance, fun, laughter, joy, and love. In each other we have found the perfect spouse." On the same day, State Assembly member Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) introduced the Marriage License Non-Discrimination Act (MLNDA), sponsored by Equality California. The bill would end discrimination in the issuance of marriage licenses statewide, allowing same-sex couples to obtain marriage licenses anywhere in California. There are 8,902 same-sex couples living in the same household in San Francisco according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Newsom told the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday, "A little more than a month ago, I took the oath of office here at City Hall and swore to uphold California's Constitution, which clearly outlaws all forms of discrimination. Denying basic rights to members of our community will not be tolerated." |
Lesbian pioneers Del Martin (left) and Phyllis Lyon, who have been together for 50+ years, were the first to receive marriage licenses in San Francisco. They are shown here meeting in 1998 with GayToday's editor, Jack Nichols