Portland, Oregon -
Same-sex couples, many who lined up overnight in a cold rain, began filing into the Multnomah County clerk's office Thursday to apply for marriage licenses.
Hundreds of same-sex couples, many with their children stood in line.
"We will not allow discrimination to continue," proclaimed commissioner Lisa Naito, at a news conference with other county officials.
Agnes Sowle, the county attorney, said a review of state law led her to "conclude that the Oregon Constitution prohibits the county from discriminating" against same-sex couples for the purpose of marriage. Sowle said she also obtained a concurring opinion from an outside legal counsel.
The county, which includes the city of Portland, becomes the second community on the west coast to let gay and lesbian couples marry.
The first couple to receive a marriage license was Christine Tanner and her partner. Tanner won a landmark Oregon Court of Appeals ruling in 1998 requiring all state and local governments in Oregon to offer spousal benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of their employees.
As quickly as the clerk's office processed each license, the couples moved to a nearby hotel where retired Oregon Supreme Court Justice Betty Roberts and Glenna Shepherd a minister with the Metropolitan Community Church performed the marriages.
Governor Ted Kulongoski told an afternoon news conference that he favors civil unions for gays and lesbians and does not believe that present state law permits gay marriages.
The Democratic governor said reasonable people can differ on what the state marriage laws says.
But he said when someone reads it and considers the time when it was written they were --quote-- "thinking of a man and a woman getting married."
Still, he said it's up to Attorney General Hardy Meyers to make a legal determination.
Oregon law defines marriage only as a civil contract entered into in person by males at least 17 years of age and females at least 17 years of age, who are otherwise capable.
Gay marriage opponents have filed four versions of a proposed constitutional amendment that would prevent Oregon from recognizing gay marriages. It is expected, if the groups get enough signatures to put the issue on the November ballot, only one version would appear.
©365Gay.com® 2004
Hundreds of same-sex couples, many with their children stood in line.
"We will not allow discrimination to continue," proclaimed commissioner Lisa Naito, at a news conference with other county officials.
Agnes Sowle, the county attorney, said a review of state law led her to "conclude that the Oregon Constitution prohibits the county from discriminating" against same-sex couples for the purpose of marriage. Sowle said she also obtained a concurring opinion from an outside legal counsel.
The county, which includes the city of Portland, becomes the second community on the west coast to let gay and lesbian couples marry.
The first couple to receive a marriage license was Christine Tanner and her partner. Tanner won a landmark Oregon Court of Appeals ruling in 1998 requiring all state and local governments in Oregon to offer spousal benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of their employees.
As quickly as the clerk's office processed each license, the couples moved to a nearby hotel where retired Oregon Supreme Court Justice Betty Roberts and Glenna Shepherd a minister with the Metropolitan Community Church performed the marriages.
Governor Ted Kulongoski told an afternoon news conference that he favors civil unions for gays and lesbians and does not believe that present state law permits gay marriages.
The Democratic governor said reasonable people can differ on what the state marriage laws says.
But he said when someone reads it and considers the time when it was written they were --quote-- "thinking of a man and a woman getting married."
Still, he said it's up to Attorney General Hardy Meyers to make a legal determination.
Oregon law defines marriage only as a civil contract entered into in person by males at least 17 years of age and females at least 17 years of age, who are otherwise capable.
Gay marriage opponents have filed four versions of a proposed constitutional amendment that would prevent Oregon from recognizing gay marriages. It is expected, if the groups get enough signatures to put the issue on the November ballot, only one version would appear.
©365Gay.com® 2004
This article originally appeared on 365gay.com. Republished with permission.
