They did not want to wait any longer. Dozens of homosexual couples came to Cambridge's City Hall at midnight yesterday to seek marriage licenses from the state of Massachusetts, which became the first US state to legally allow gay marriage.
Gathered on a lawn in front of the building, young and not-so-young couples, surrounded by children and friends, patiently waited in line for the ceremony under the glare of television lights.
PHOTO: AFP
Same-sex marriage became legal yesterday throughout the northeastern state. But Cambridge, home to renowned Harvard University, went an extra step by opening its marriage bureau right after midnight to allow gay couples to fulfill their dreams as soon as possible.
Sue Shepherd and Marcia Hams, both in their 50s, arrived a day early and slept on the steps of the building to reserve a place at the head of the line.
"It's so friendly here," observe Scott Fisher and Mike Cordeiro. "We've been together for nine years; it's time to make it legal."
"It's like a dream come true," said artist Bren Bataclan, who arrived with schoolteacher Bob Parlin. "Who thought it'd be possible a year ago?"
Debbie Rosenfeld had been at the site here since 4pm Sunday, accompanied by her daughter.
"It's a political lesson for her," she says, pointing to the girl. "I wanted her to feel empowered."
Rosenfeld has lived with her companion, Susie, for 20 years.
A festive atmosphere reigned on the plaza, with people waving signs reading "Thank you Massachusetts" and "Congratulations to All" and passing cars honking in approval.
A dozen anti-gay protesters holding signs reading "God Hates Fags" stood across the street, shielded by a police cordon.
About 200 couples were able to enter City Hall after midnight to apply for licenses in the presence of the mayor and celebrate with champagne.
But most people standing in line wore casual clothes like jeans and T-shirts because Massachusetts law establishes a three-day delay between applying for a license and a marriage ceremony.
"It's a historic day; today ends the discrimination against gays and lesbians," said Democratic Cambridge mayor Michael Sullivan, standing in the hall of the municipal council.
"It's unbelievable to be here, this is going to make such an enormous difference for the families," said Mary Buonato, a lawyer and one of the organizers of the event, echoing the sentiment.
Across the state, towns and cities were readying for a wave of applications for marriage licenses from gay couples seeking to legally tie the knot for the first time.
The legal ceremonies became possible after the Massachusetts Supreme Court struck down an existing ban on gay marriage from the state constitution last November.
However, opponents of gay marriage continued their protests in spite of the US Supreme Court's refusal Friday to hear an eleventh-hour appeal by conservative groups seeking to block the move.
The Massachusetts Legislature approved an amendment to the state constitution in March barring gay marriage. But the amendment needs two further votes of approval and -- if approved -- would not take effect until the end of 2006.
The issue has also figured in the US presidential campaign. Democratic contender John Kerry is a senator from Massachusetts.
Kerry stressed in February that he was opposed to gay unions being called marriages, but had no objection to legal civil unions that would safeguard the "fundamental rights of gay and lesbian couples, from inheritance to health benefits."
Bush is firmly against gay marriage and has called for an amendment to the constitution that would limit marriage only to a man and a woman.
Elsewhere, a dozen US states grant gays a form of legal partnership with some rights, but full civil unions exist only in the northeastern state of Vermont.
More than 30 states have laws banning gay marriage.
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