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| Gay Couples Who Sued in California Move to Wed | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The two couples who sued to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage moved immediately to marry late Friday afternoon, just hours after the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, lifted the stay that had been in place. | |
| The court had stopped same-sex marriages while the case wound its way through the Supreme Court. | The court had stopped same-sex marriages while the case wound its way through the Supreme Court. |
| Attorney General Kamala Harris rushed to San Francisco City Hall within minutes of the ruling to perform the wedding for Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, who have been together for more than 15 years and have four sons. | |
| Many legal experts and advocates had expected the court to wait for an official decision from the Supreme Court, as is the normal practice. But after the initial ruling was issued on Wednesday, Ms. Harris urged the Circuit Court to act immediately and said she would ensure that all counties in the state were prepared to issue licenses to same-sex couples. | Many legal experts and advocates had expected the court to wait for an official decision from the Supreme Court, as is the normal practice. But after the initial ruling was issued on Wednesday, Ms. Harris urged the Circuit Court to act immediately and said she would ensure that all counties in the state were prepared to issue licenses to same-sex couples. |
| Gov. Jerry Brown issued a statement late Friday afternoon saying that he had directed the state’s Department of Health to notify all 58 counties in the state that “same-sex marriage is now legal in California and that marriage licenses must be issued to same-sex couples immediately.” | |
| While Sacramento County officials said they planned to stay open late Friday to issue licenses, most applicants were probably waiting until Monday, when all counties will be open for regular business. | |
| Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, on his last day in office, planned to officiate at the Friday evening wedding of Paul Katami and Jeffrey Zarrillo, the two other plaintiffs in the case. Until Friday afternoon, the two had no idea when their marriage could take place. | |
| “Nobody really knew; that’s what our lawyers are there for. We don’t really care about any of that at this point, but we’re on our way to see the mayor,” Mr. Zarillo told KCRW, a public radio station in Los Angeles. | |
| John J. Duran, a councilman from West Hollywood, said that within hours of the court ruling Friday he had promised to officiate at two weddings next week. | |
| Andy Pugno, the general counsel for ProtectMarriage.com, the backers of Proposition 8, said the court had rushed a decision and called it a “disgraceful day for California.” | |
| “This outrageous act tops off a chronic pattern of lawlessness, throughout this case, by judges and politicians hellbent on thwarting the vote of the people to redefine marriage by any means, even outright corruption,” he said in a statement. | |
| In City Hall in San Francisco, hundreds gathered to watch Ms. Perry and Ms. Stier. | |
| “Gay and lesbian couples have waited so long for this day and for their fundamental right to marry,” Ms. Harris said. “Finally, their loving relationships are as legitimate and legal as any other.” |