The California Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned bans on
same-sex marriage came down May 15, while the lag time between then
and today allowed clerks to prepare for the change and get the
right forms in order.
Eugenia Torres had been with Jymie Wyrick for six years, but marriage had to wait until today.
“I’ve waited for years to get married,” said Torres, 24, of Hollister. “I just didn’t want to wait another day.”
Torres and Wyrick are among two same-sex couples so far to obtain marriage licenses at the San Benito County Courthouse, today being the first full day in which clerks throughout California have been allowed to issue them in response to the recent Supreme Court ruling that legalized the certificates.
The couple have a small celebration planned for today at the Salinas home of Torres’ mother – a family friend got deputized to perform the ceremony – and they expect to hold a much larger one next year.
“It means a lot,” said Wyrick, 23, of Hollister, who moved here with her new wife five months ago. “It’s a happy day. You see everybody else getting married and you’re always stuck. But now we’re not.”
The California Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned bans on same-sex marriage came down May 15, while the lag time between then and today allowed clerks to prepare for the change and get the right forms in order.
San Benito County Clerk Joe Paul Gonzalez noted how each county has individual license forms, which officials throughout the state adjusted to meet the same legal specifications. One change on the form in particular is the space for the “Bride” and “Groom” names that now reads “Party A” and “Party B.”
“We’re here to serve all our customers and make all our customers feel welcome,” Gonzalez said.
