Despite legal doubts, rain squalls and long waits, gays and
lesbians are lining up by the hundreds to share what only San
Francisco can offer: equal rights for same-sex couples.
The marriage license total ticked past 2,500 as couples in trim
suits and rumpled jeans queued up Tuesday. The definitive legal
word on the city’s right to perform such marriages remains on the
horizon. The licenses may end up as binding documents or keepsakes
with no official power.
Despite legal doubts, rain squalls and long waits, gays and lesbians are lining up by the hundreds to share what only San Francisco can offer: equal rights for same-sex couples.
The marriage license total ticked past 2,500 as couples in trim suits and rumpled jeans queued up Tuesday. The definitive legal word on the city’s right to perform such marriages remains on the horizon. The licenses may end up as binding documents or keepsakes with no official power.
But it’s plain that the policy rushed out by Mayor Gavin Newsom taps into the heartfelt urge by same-sex couples to claim the same rights and recognition as heterosexuals. Newsom should be commended for taking a high-risk stand for equality, which has turned City Hall into the eye of a political storm.
It should reassure Americans who are uneasy about same-sex marriage to see the joy and love in the eyes of so many applicants. Some of these unions will last a lifetime, others will fail – compatibility and commitment are not determined by sexual orientation. Neither should the concept of equal protection under the law. These couples crave – and deserve – the respect and rights accorded to others in this society.
Same-sex marriage won’t take hold without a fight. A formidable legal challenge awaits in determining if the city’s actions violate a state law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. The city’s defiance of this rule is based on a sensible alternative: All couples, gay or straight, should enjoy the same rights, including marriage.
