I am sharing a great blog by Melanie Nathan... with tissue alert to those so inclined...
SUBTITLE good too: Same Sex Couples in King County (Seattle) Set Marriage License record
CONGRATs to them all!
MARRIAGE EQUALITY COMES TO LIFE IN WASHINGTON STATE
Seattle saw marriage equality come to life. At 12.01 am the King County Administrative building erupted into cheer as the doors opened for over 500 couples who had lined the cold streets for hours, waiting to be amongst the first to celebrate the historic moment.
The historic ability of same-sex couples to acquire a marriage license in Washington has resulted in King County breaking its one-day record for license issuance in the first three and a half hours after the King County Recorder’s Office began issuing licenses at midnight Dec. 6. King County Executive Dow Constantine was still signing commemorative documents for all license purchasers at 4 a.m.
AND a HOST of supporters were there to welcome the newly licensed couples and lso support their wait in line.
Supporters, whether gay or straight showed up to cheer the couples as they emerged from the building in the early morning hours, waving licenses, including some who had waited decades to receive. Church choirs serenaded the patient couples waiting in line, offering hot coffee as well as chorus. Members of the public walked the line gifting loving couples with bottles of champagne, roses, chocolates and hand warmers.
A large crowd gathered outside the building ,as a media frenzy and hundreds of supporters showed up to congratulate and cheer the couples with flashing cameras and screams as couple by couple left the building, after receiving their licenses on this historic day.
MORE BELOW the fold w pics.
The licenses issued by King County this morning were the first in the nation to be issued under a state law enacted directly by voters – and this morning’s event was big news across the country. In fact, the marriage equality hashtag, #MEDayWA, was the number-five trending topic on Twitter across the nation overnight. King County is tweeting status updates and information on @kcnews, www.twitter.com/kcnews.
“I am so proud to be a part of this momentous occasion,” said Jon Scherer, Recording Manager for King County. “In only three and a half hours, we produced more marriage licenses than we ever have in a single day, and there’s still more to come. It’s important for us to deliver the same quality of service to all of our citizens, and now we truly can.”
The King County Recorder’s Office in downtown Seattle will stay open until 6:30 p.m. tonight to process marriage licenses for all couples. The office will reopen on Friday, Dec. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8.
BUT the Weddings have to wait at least until SUNDAY..as there is a three-day waiting period in Washington State for those who get cold feet before a ceremony. Considering many of these loving couples have waited over 30 years for this! I doubt many of these folks will back out.
HERE is story of the First Couple:
The first couple to received their license was Jane Abbott Lighty and Pete-e Petersen, from West Seattle . Jane and Pete-e have been together 35 years and live in West Seattle. They were featured in an R-71 ad. See www.youtube.com/watch?v=va7-nEAkxx0. They are co-founders of the Seattle Women’s Chorus. They will be getting married during the Seattle Men’s Chorus concert on Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Benaroya Hall. Pete-e is 85 years old. She was born in Manhattan but grew up in a small Alabama town with her grandmother. She served five years in the Air Force as air-evac flight nurse during the Korean War. Pete-e adopted her sister’s daughter at almost three years old. She and Jane are proud grandparents of two grown granddaughters. Jane is 77 years old. She was born in Fremont, Neb. but grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She too was a nurse
.... and these folks brought all the kids, too! A little late, but they will always remember this holiday season!