Gay Marriages Begin in California

"The weddings began in a handful of locations around the state at exactly 5:01 p.m. Pacific time, the first minute allowed by last month’s decision by the California Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage. Many more ceremonies will be held on Tuesday when all 58 counties around the state will be issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

In San Francisco, Del Martin, 87, and Phyllis Lyon, 84, were the first and only couple to be wed here, saying their vows in the office of Mayor Gavin Newsom, before emerging to a throng of media and screaming well-wishers.

The gray-haired Ms. Martin and Ms. Leon, who have been together for than 50 years, seemed touched by, if a little tired of, all the attention.

'When we first got together, we weren’t thinking about getting married,' said Ms. Leon, before cutting a wedding cake. 'I think it’s a wonderful day.'

Outside City Hall, several hundred supporters and protesters chanted, cheered and jeered in equal measure, giving an unruly carnival feel to the scene, complete with a marching band playing wedding songs and signs reading 'Homo Sex Is Sin.'"

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