Dear Associated Press...

Why don't you send me a bill?


HundredsofsamesexcoupleswedacrossCaliforniaByLISALEFF
AssociatedPressWriterSANFRANCISCO
(AP)Serenadedbyagaymen'schorus,showeredwithrosepetalsandtoastedwithchampagne,hundreds
oftearfulsamesexcouplesgotmarriedacrossthestateTuesdayinwhatsomearecallingCalifornia'snew
SummerofLove.WearingeverythingfromTshirtstotuxedosandlavishgowns,theyrusheddownto
countyclerks'officestoobtainmarriagelicensesandexchangevowsonthefirstfulldaythatgaymarriage
becamelegalinCaliforniabyorderofthestate'shighestcourt.Theywerejoinedbyjubilantcrowdsthat
cametowitnesstheevent.GeorgeTakei,whoplayedSuluontheoriginal"StarTrek,"beamedasheand
hispartnerof21years,BradAltman,obtainedoneofthenewgenderneutralmarriagelicenseswiththe
words"PartyA"and"PartyB"insteadof"bride"and"groom"attheWestHollywoodCityHall.Theyare
planningaSeptemberwedding."Iseebeforemepeoplewhopersonifyloveandcommitment,"agrinning
Takeitoldthecrowd.HeflashedtheVulcanhandsalutefrom"StarTrek"and,inatwistontheVulcan
greetingfromtheTVseries,said:"Mayequalitylivelongandprosper."TheburstofgayweddingsactuallybeganonMondayevening,whenafewcountiesextendedtheirofficehourspast5p.m.,themomentthe May15CaliforniaSupremeCourtrulinglegalizingsamesexmarriagetookeffect.OnTuesdaymorning,though,all58countiesbeganissuinglicenses,andtherushwason.Therewerescattereddemonstrations outsidesomeofficesandcourthouses.AboutadozenprotestersstoodacrossthestreetfromtheSacramento Countyrecorder'soffice,carryingsignsthatread,"Marriage1man+1woman"and"ResistJudicial
Tyranny.""It'ssomethingtojustprayabout.It'snotatimetobejoyful,"16yearolddemonstratorJuliya Lyubezhaninasaidasshewatcheddozensofballoonandrainbowflagcarryingcouples.Courtsin
SacramentoandSanFranciscoonTuesdayrejectedseparatelastminutebidsbygroupsseekingtohalt samesexmarriage.Still,aroundthestate,protesterswereoutnumberedbywellwishers.Oneconservative activistsaidthattheefforttopassaconstitutionalamendmentinthefallthatwouldoutlawgaymarriage againinCaliforniacouldfailiftheopponentscameontoostrong."Themajormediawouldlovetoseeusengage infierceprotestsandhostiledemonstrationsofoutrageagainstthelicensingofsamesex'marriages,'"said RonaldPrentice,chairmanoftheProtectMarriage.comcoalition."Ourbattleisnotagainstthesamesex coupleswhoarepursuingtheopportunitytomarrygrantedthembytheactivistjudgesontheCalifornia SupremeCourt."Somecouplescamefromoutofstate.UnlikeMassachusetts,theonlyotherstatetolegalize gaymarriage,Californiahasnoresidencyrequirementforamarriagelicense.Manygayactivistsarelikening thEmomenttothe1967SummerofLove,whenyoungpeoplefromacrossthecountryconvergedonCalifornia inwhatcametoberegardedasthebirthofthecounterculture.InashadyplazainBakersfield,wherethe
countyclerkstoppedofficiatingatmarriagesaltogetherratherthanpresideoversamesexceremonies, newlywedswearingCinderellastylegownsandmatchingtuxedoswereshoweredwithrosepetals!while aphotographerwhosetuponaparkbenchofferedtosnapweddingportraits.Althoughsomecouplessaid theypreferredtowaituntilaftertheelectionbecausetheyfearedtheirmarriageswouldnullifiedatthe ballotbox,otherssaidtheywantedtomakehistory,especiallyiftheopportunitytogetmarriedcouldbe lost."There'sawindow,andwewanttotakeadvantageofthatwindow,becausewhoknowswhat'sgoing tohappeninNovember,"saidJayMendes,40,asheandhispartnerofthreeyears,VanthaSao,22,waited toobtainamarriagelicenseinWestHollywood.ArecentFieldPollshowedthatCaliforniansfavorgranting gaystherighttomarry51percentto42percent.Itwasthefirsttimein30yearsofCaliforniapollingthat thescalestippedinthatdirection.InOrangeCounty,newlywedsAlfonsoGuerrero,48,andManuelChavez, 43,posedforapicturewhiledeliberatelys?

Hey AP...how much for the photo of the lesbians? How about halfsies after I auction it off?

*Image at top stolen from Brian Ledbetter at Snapped Shot. Thanks, Brian! You can send me a bill as well...I'll pay it with the same checkbook I'll use to pay the AP.

Update...oops. Per Brian's site, he ripped off the AP banner at the top of this post from the Freepers. So credit to them.